West Bengal to have a centralised online UG admission portal; Edu Department issues notice

According to an official, the new portal will negate the possibility of interference from college unions in the admission process
Image is for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)
Image is for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)

A centralised web-based online portal for admission to undergraduate (UG) courses in government colleges and universities is set to come up in West Bengal. A notice has been issued in this regard by the state's higher education department and according to it, a 10-member committee will monitor the implementation.

"The department of Higher Education has decided to use a centralised web-based online admission portal developed by Webel Technology Ltd for the Under Graduate general degree courses in West Bengal from 2023-24 academic sessions in all government, government-aided colleges, unitary universities, and state-aided affiliating universities," the notice reads, as per a report by PTI.

"This excludes autonomous colleges, minority educational institution colleges, training colleges, law colleges and universities offering courses like fine arts, crafts, dance, music, engineering, pharmacy, nursing, medical colleges and self-financing private colleges," it adds.

According to a Higher Education Department official, the new portal will negate the possibility of interference of college unions in the admission process to UG courses and ensure total fairness and transparency. He added that the admission process will start after the publication of higher secondary and other plus two board examination results.

Under the new system, students are enabled to make better-informed choices by checking out all the colleges/universities offering UG courses. The decision for the centralised portal was taken after West Bengal Education minister Bratya Basu recently said the state wished to put such a measure in place.

Basu had advocated following the same method one year back before the beginning of admission to UG courses but the Higher Education Department backed out. Several Higher Education Institutions had cited a lack of infrastructural support to enforce such a system with immediate effect as the reason.

"The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently issued notice to universities and colleges to follow a Common University Entrance Test - Undergraduate (CUET - UG). But the West Bengal model, applicable to state-run and funded institutions in the state, is not the same as CUET - UG and developed with the state's specific requirements in mind," the Department official explained, as per PTI.

In a circular, the department has stated that the proposed 10-member monitoring committee will consist of Pritimoy Sanyal, technology head of MAKAUT, Dr Somnath Mukherjee, Dinabandhu Andrews College Principal, Madhumita Manna and Additional Director of Public Instructions, among others. They will coordinate with the higher education department officials.

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