Kolkata: Presidency University may opt out of centralised admission system

KOLKATA: Presidency University has decided to take some more time to finalize the modalities for this year’s UG and PG admissions. However, the students said the university authorities have informed them that no entrance tests will be conducted for UG and PG admissions this year but the institution will retain its autonomy and not be a part of the centralized admission system.
Registrar Debajyoti Konar said, “The members of the admission committee have noted all the concerns of the students. Considering the possible late publication of the ICSE and CBSE results, the members of the admission committee decided to take some more time to finalize the modes and methods of the admission process of 2022 in Presidency University.” A university professor claimed that admission this year will depend on multiple factors and will be unique as it has always been.
The SFI-led Presidency University Students’ Union (PUSU) called it their partial victory because the decision by the authorities to retain the institutional autonomy has come after prolonged sit-in protests and gherao.
“We were told that Presidency University will not go with the state government’s centralized admission procedure and due to some logistical problems, the authorities will not be able to conduct entrance exams this year. They also made it clear that they are for the admission tests and assured us that the authority will take necessary measures from August this year so that in the next academic year (2023-2024), admissions to Presidency University will be based on entrance tests,” said girls’ common room secretary Shruti Roy Muhuri. She added that the union will follow up with the authorities to make sure that entrance exams, a legacy of the institution, are back.
The students of Independents’ Consolidation were not satisfied with the decision of the university. Asif Abdullah, a PG student, said, “It is an infrastructural failure on the part of the university that they cannot conduct entrance tests. Moreover, the claims by the union of partial victory is also a failure to secure entrance tests this year.”
Debnil Paul, a PG student, said, “The demand of the union that the transparency of the admission committee meeting be maintained and communicated to the student representatives of the union was also fulfilled by the authority.”