The first phase of undergraduate admissions through the West Bengal Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) has highlighted a notable rise in female participation. The recently published merit list shows that female candidates received a significantly larger share of seat allotments than male applicants.

Data released by the Higher Education Department indicates that more than 2.2 lakh female students secured seat allotments, compared with around 1.6 lakh male students. Of the nearly 9 lakh seats available across colleges and universities, approximately 3.8 lakh candidates were allotted seats during the opening phase.

Admission activity on the first day reflected a similar pattern. Nearly 13,000 students confirmed their admissions, with female students accounting for over 8,000 enrollments, while male admissions crossed the 4,000 mark.

Officials observed that female applicants had already outnumbered male applicants during the registration and application stages, making the current trend consistent with earlier admission data.

College administrators welcomed the strong representation of women in higher education. Many believe that government welfare programmes and scholarship support have played an important role in encouraging students, especially those from rural areas, to continue their studies after school.

Academic leaders also noted differences in course preferences. Female students continue to show strong interest in traditional undergraduate degree programmes, whereas many male students are increasingly opting for professional, technical, and skill-based courses that are closely linked to employment opportunities.

Education stakeholders emphasized the need to ensure that newly admitted students remain enrolled and successfully complete their degrees. They stressed that institutions and policymakers must work together to reduce dropout rates and strengthen support systems.

Several principals pointed to financial assistance initiatives as a key factor behind the growing number of female students entering higher education. Such support mechanisms have helped reduce economic barriers and increased access to college education.

Concerns were also raised regarding the declining number of male students enrolling in conventional science and general degree courses. According to educators, many students are choosing engineering, vocational education, and other career-oriented programmes. Some administrators also linked the shift to uncertainty surrounding recruitment opportunities and the implementation of the four-year undergraduate degree structure.

The current admission phase will remain active until June 15. After the completion of this round, an upgraded allotment list is scheduled to be released on June 20.