Calcutta University has introduced a new four-year Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Electronics from the current academic year. The new course replaces the MSc programme in Electronic Science, which has now been discontinued.

The decision was taken after receiving approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). University authorities stated that the revised programme structure is intended to match present-day industry requirements and improve employment opportunities for graduates.

With the addition of the new intake, the total number of BTech seats at the university has increased to 462. Officials explained that the earlier MSc programme had witnessed declining student interest over the years, leading the university to redesign the curriculum around a more employment-focused engineering degree.

The MSc course in Electronic Science was introduced during the 1990s under the science faculty. Students from physics and electronics backgrounds were eligible for admission, and the programme had a capacity of 40 seats.

University administrators emphasized that academic institutions must continuously update their programmes according to changing market trends. They also noted that private institutions have been rapidly introducing industry-relevant courses, making it necessary for public universities to remain competitive.

Faculty members previously associated with the MSc programme will now be involved in teaching electronics subjects within the BTech curriculum.

Calcutta University has been gradually restructuring its engineering education system over the past decade. In 2015, the university started introducing four-year BTech programmes while phasing out its earlier three-year engineering courses meant for BSc graduates. By 2024, all engineering seats had been converted into four-year programmes.

Members of the engineering faculty described the latest move as an important step toward modernization. They added that programmes with low student enrolment can also affect institutional rankings, including assessments conducted under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).