Several colleges affiliated with the University of Calcutta are considering reducing the number of undergraduate seats as they continue to experience a steady decline in student admissions. Ahead of the upcoming academic session, at least two institutions have formally approached the university with such proposals.

New Alipore College and Maheshtala College have both reported falling enrolment across multiple disciplines, including humanities and science subjects. This ongoing trend has led them to seek a reduction in seat capacity before the next admission cycle begins.

At New Alipore College, a considerable gap was observed between available seats and actual admissions, with fewer than half the seats filled last year. Some departments recorded extremely low intake, with only a handful of students enrolling in certain courses. The college administration expects similar patterns to continue, prompting its request to reduce seats in selected subjects.

Maheshtala College has proposed a broader reduction in its overall seat capacity. After reviewing enrolment data from recent years, its governing body decided to recommend cutting seats across most departments due to consistently low student turnout.

Administrators from other colleges have also raised concerns about declining enrolment, noting that it can negatively affect institutional evaluations such as accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. A lower number of students impacts the student-teacher ratio, which is a key factor in such assessments and rankings.

In contrast, Panchur College has requested an increase in seats for its multidisciplinary undergraduate programme. The institution has observed growing interest in this course and believes additional capacity is needed to meet student demand.

Across West Bengal, undergraduate admissions have declined significantly. Of the large number of available seats last year, only a fraction were filled through the centralised admission system, which includes many colleges affiliated with the University of Calcutta. University officials have expressed concern over this ongoing trend, as total enrolment has dropped sharply in recent academic sessions.