The centralised admission portal, under the State Council of Higher Education has meant an end to the trauma of getting admission to colleges.

Through this portal, students can admit themselves at 461 government and

Government-sponsored higher education institutes and 16 universities in more than 7,000 courses, across West Bengal, said Sandip Banerjee, an educator associated with the education system in Bengal.

Through this portal students across the country can apply for studying at any institute of higher education, enrolled in the central admission portal in West Bengal. There will be scope for applying in 25 courses across the state either in one college or multiple ones.

Cancellation of admission can easily be done through the portal. The portal has an option for ‘upgradation’ and admission shall take place in higher preference. Through the portal, on requirement previous admission can be cancelled and one can move to the next higher preference. There is also provision for adjustment of fees; either the fees gets adjusted according to cancellation and further admission or if there is anything paid in excess, that extra amount gets refunded.

“The portal has made admissions a cake-walk for the students. It facilitates multiple-choice; it eases cancellation and saves both time and money. It is hassle-free transaction with enabling of payment through ‘Payment Gateway’. There is also a toll-free number where concern of any sort can be communicated,” said Mr Banerjee.

The centralised admission portal is one of the first of its kind in the entire country. It is a brilliant application to ensure time and space coordination. It sincerely looks towards the digitisation of the postmodern era.

The admission to colleges through the centralised portal has put an end to the highhandedness of the college unions during admission. There have been allegations of extortion by some union members. The age-old tradition of long queues of students in front of colleges seeking admission has become a matter of the past.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said over and again that college unions should be engaged in organizing cultural shows and the publication of college magazines and it has no business in college admissions. She took the initiative to set up a centralized portal to weed out corruption attached to college admissions.