Prime Highlights
- West Bengal has asked state-aided universities to start postgraduate classes from August to maintain the academic calendar and improve higher education standards.
- Universities have been instructed to ensure transparent and timely admissions to help students complete courses on schedule and reduce delays in academic sessions.
Key Facts
- State-aided universities have been directed to complete merit-based postgraduate admissions by the first week of July.
- The education department said postgraduate classes should begin from August to help maintain the academic calendar.
Background
The education department has directed state-aided universities to begin postgraduate classes from August as part of efforts to maintain the academic calendar and improve higher education standards in West Bengal. Universities have also been asked to complete the online admission process by the first week of July through a merit-based system.
According to the department’s notice, all admissions must be conducted strictly on merit. Universities have been instructed to ensure transparency and avoid delays in the admission process. The department earlier asked colleges and universities to begin undergraduate classes from July.
The notice stated that universities such as the University of Calcutta must reserve 80 percent of postgraduate seats for students graduating from affiliated colleges. The remaining seats will be open to students from other universities.
In unitary institutions such as Jadavpur University, 80 percent of the seats will be reserved for the university’s own undergraduate students seeking admission to postgraduate courses.
Education department officials said the revised schedule would help universities complete syllabi on time and reduce pressure on students during examinations. Officials also said delayed academic sessions often push students to leave the state for postgraduate studies in other regions.
The department further clarified that students will not have to pay any charge for scanning or uploading documents during the online admission process. Universities have also been asked to directly inform eligible candidates through letters, email or other communication channels and share candidate lists with banks for payment verification.
