KOLKATA: The state government on Tuesday decided to extend the date of admissions to all colleges and universities offering undergraduate courses in Bengal to August 20. The decision comes a day after a status report submitted by Calcutta University (CU) to the higher education department showing numerous vacancies in each discipline and the number of filled-up seats in its affiliated colleges.On Tuesday, education minister Partha Chatterjee said he had instructed his department to give the go-ahead for reopening the admission process in general degree colleges where thousands of seats have remained vacant. The unprecedented decision, sources said, was taken in order to prevent backdoor entry, a longstanding problem. Allowing colleges to reopen admissions will bring more transparency to the system.“The admission to colleges will be extended to August 20,” the minister said while addressing the media at Asutosh College . This is the second extension: earlier, the government had extended the last date of admissions from July 4 to July 10.The minister also made it clear during the programme that students somehow gain “backdoor entry” without their names on the merit list won’t be given registration by the affiliating university, denying them a valid UG student status. “The minister extended the last date so ensure the online admission process is done based on merit only,” said a higher education department official. “Also, as earlier specified, the government has said that no prospective student should not be called for counselling or verification of documents during the process of admission. With several seats remaining vacant, there is always the possibility of college unions meddling in the admissions and forcing the authorities to take students from outside.”The government has also said that no candidate should come to campuses for verification or payment of fees. Based on chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions, the higher education department has now specified steps to be followed. The eligible applicants will have to be informed directly by the college authorities through telecommunication or email. Fees will have to be paid only through e-payment through designated banks and not at the colleges. The list of eligible applicants will thereafter be handed over to the designated bank branches for verification during payment. “The verification process should be done, if required, only when the students report for classes in due course. Completing all this, the admission process for vacant seats should be completed by August 20,” reads the circular issued on Tuesday.Educationists see this as an effort to usher in transparency in the admission process, by preventing muscleflexing by college union members and pressuring authorities to admit students not on the merit list. “As many as 40,000 seats have remained vacant in 131 affiliated colleges under CU.There are 1,30,000 seats, out of which 48% seats are reserved . Of the vacant seats, most are from the reserved category, while 7,000 seats are in honours and rest in general degree courses. There is an immediate need to allow colleges to de-reserve seats, without which vacancies will remain,” said a CU source.If colleges re-open admission, it would mean they’ll have to re-open the websites for candidates to fill in and submit forms and seek counselling.

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