The West Bengal Higher Education Department has approved an additional admission process for government institutions seeking to fill undergraduate seats that remain vacant after regular counselling. Colleges and universities can conduct the exercise online or offline under a special, one-time arrangement.

The initiative aims to address the large number of unoccupied seats in engineering, pharmacy and architecture courses. Institutions must complete the admission process by October 31, according to the department's instructions.

Institutions Must Publish Vacancy Details

Participating institutions are required to publish information about available seats, eligibility conditions, admission procedures and counselling schedules through their official websites and other communication channels. Vacancy notifications must also be submitted to the Higher Education Department and the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB).

Colleges must maintain records of applications received, eligibility verification, merit-list preparation, candidate selection and completed admissions. Updated vacancy and admission figures must be uploaded to the designated state portal by October 31.

The department has fixed November 2 for verification of the process. The October 31 admission deadline will not be extended.

Vacancies Persist Despite Online Counselling

This year's admission exercise included three rounds of centralised online counselling, followed by an online decentralised process through the Decentralised Counselling Admission Portal. The portal covered undergraduate programmes in engineering, technology, pharmacy and architecture.

State Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay reported that 27,599 seats had been filled through electronic and online decentralised counselling. The reported total was 11,870 higher than the previous year's figure.

However, a substantial number of engineering seats remained vacant, leading institutions to seek permission for an additional round of campus-level admissions.

Universities Welcome the Decision

The decision has received a positive response from state-run universities, including Jadavpur University and the University of Calcutta. Both institutions had approached the department seeking permission to conduct their own decentralised admission exercises.

Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee had raised concerns about delays in the admission schedule. The extended process has affected the start of undergraduate classes, potentially pushing the beginning of teaching into November.

The delayed academic calendar has also highlighted the difference between state engineering institutions and centrally funded institutions, where students have already progressed through their initial internal examinations.

Calcutta University Vice-Chancellor Asutosh Ghosh supported the additional round, viewing it as another opportunity to fill seats that remained vacant after the regular online admission process.

Seat Position at Major State Universities

Calcutta University reportedly had more than 140 vacant BTech seats out of a total intake of 478. Vacancies affected several departments, including electrical and electronics engineering, while Computer Science and Engineering was among the exceptions.

Jadavpur University had approximately 140 unfilled seats from its total BTech capacity of 1,190. Vacancies were reported across several departments, with Computer Science and Electronics among the exceptions.

Final Opportunity to Reduce Vacancies

The additional admission window gives state institutions another chance to accommodate eligible applicants and make better use of their available seats. The outcome will depend on student participation and each institution's ability to complete the process within the prescribed timeframe.