There is good news for students eyeing for admission in state-run colleges in the state. Admission in colleges in the state from now on would be at the click of a mouse.

Inaugurating the centralized portal today, Bratya Basu, state education minister said that the portal would officially come into effect from 24 June, when the students would be able to browse through the nitty-gritty of admission criteria and make a choice of their desired college for admission in at least 25 courses, based on their marks obtained in Higher Secondary examination.

With the launch of the portal, students would not need to visit colleges in person for admissions in colleges of their choice in undergraduate courses. The portal would also rule out the alleged college union high-handedness, which the students had to face at many colleges. With the unveiling of one centralized portal for admission in colleges by the state government today, the anxiety among students would be a thing in the past as the portal would answer all the information that a student might search for to take admissions in courses of their choice.

The websites the students would have to look for are https://banglaruchchashiksha.wb.gov.in or https://wbcap.in/.

The minister further said that a student can apply for admissions in at least 25 courses at one go at different colleges. The portal will have information catering to 7,217 undergraduate courses in the government, government-aided general degree colleges and universities. About 16 universities, 461 colleges and higher education institutes would be catering to the aforesaid number of courses. However, a few higher education Institutions have been kept outside the purview of this system.

The universities include Presidency University, Jadavpur University, autonomous colleges, minority colleges, BEd, law, fine arts, performing arts, crafts, dance and music colleges, the minister said.

Mr Basu further said that no fee would be levied on the students for admission in colleges. The students will have to upload the required documents for admissions.

The minister said that the online admission system would get rid of the discrepancies at colleges, where the students’ unions have a say in admissions.

He further contended there would be no quota system whatsoever, except the quota for the OBCs that the state government had introduced. The minister said this would continue till a prayer is filed, challenging the Calcutta High Court order in the Supreme Court.

Asked to comment on the delay in introducing the portal that the government had envisaged much earlier, the minister said, “Better late than never.”

The attempt of the government has been to give students a much-needed time to be able to come to terms with this system. The minister emphasised that Mamata Banerjee-led government is the only government that has made such a portal a possibility.

On the much-awaited students’ union polls in colleges, Mr Basu said that it would be done in due course and in consultation with the chief minister.