– Mita Mukherjee

There will be no entry tests for admitting students in the undergraduate courses in state-aided colleges and universities in West Bengal this year and students will be admitted on the basis of the marks scored by them in the board examinations, according to a decision taken by the state government.

The decision has been taken in view of the Covid-19 situation. West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu on Wednesday held a meeting with the vice-chancellors of all universities on Wednesday evening to discuss different issues including those related to college and university admissions.

Education secretary Manish Jain informed the vice-chancellors about the government’s decision during the meeting, a source said.

The universities were told they would have to open their portals enabling undergraduate aspirants to submit their applications on August 2. The applications will be accepted till August 20.

Like last year, the applicants will not be required to pay any application fee. The fee has been waived considering the financial constraints faced by students and their families because of the pandemic.

Several state-aided colleges and universities would conduct admission tests in certain subjects which were in high demand among students in the previous years. The government has barred such institutions from conducting the tests.

This year some colleges that usually selected students to their undergraduate courses on the basis of board marks had been planning to screen the applicants through admission tests this time because of the cancellation of the board exams.

The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) board had announced on June 22 that it would conduct the entry tests for admission of students to the undergraduate and postgraduate courses of Presidency University. According to sources the WBJEE board was asked by higher education department officials during the meeting how the board took the decision to hold the Presidency University Bachelor’s Degree Entrance Test (PUBDET) and the postgraduate entrance test when the state government had instructed the universities and colleges not to conduct the admission tests.

A meeting will be convened soon between officials of Presidency University and the WBJEE board to settle the matter.

Autonomous institutions like St Xavier’s College, institutions under Ramakrishna Mission and private universities will not come under the bar and they can conduct the entry tests.       

Also read: Online entrance tests for UG admissions at St Xavier’s University