West Bengal UG Admission 2025: Legal Update & Start Date

Undergraduate admissions in West Bengal, facilitated through the state’s Centralized Admission Portal (WBCAP), are expected to begin next week. On Sunday, Education Minister Bratya Basu clarified that the ongoing legal discussions concerning OBC reservations are unlikely to delay the broader admission process.

The centralized undergraduate admission process, which covers over 460 colleges and universities across the state, had faced delays due to a pending Supreme Court case involving OBC reservation policies. The higher education department has reached out to the advocate-general (AG) for formal advice on how to proceed. According to the minister, although the matter remains under legal review, final decisions from the concerned authorities are awaited to move forward.

Basu emphasized that the centralized portal, introduced last year, would once again be the primary platform for conducting admissions and assured that the legal situation would not derail the overall process. His comments came during the 33rd annual conference of the All Bengal Principals' Council.

Meanwhile, private and autonomous institutions such as St. Xavier’s College and Ramakrishna Mission colleges—outside the purview of the centralized system—have already initiated their admission procedures.

Officials confirmed that the online portal is technically ready and will be launched as soon as clearance is received. There are indications that the authorities may consider omitting the OBC reservation criteria at the undergraduate level to avoid further legal complications, although this depends entirely on the AG’s guidance. Minister Basu reiterated that the final call rests with higher authorities.

A senior official from the education department noted that OBC seats tend to fill up rapidly and rarely remain vacant at the end of the cycle. However, delays in launching the central portal have led to concerns among college heads about student intake, especially as private colleges proceed with admissions.

A principal from a college in north Kolkata mentioned that students have been enquiring about the portal’s launch date and are being advised to monitor the official website for updates, as the process will be conducted entirely online.

Basu expressed confidence that the issue will not significantly affect this year’s admissions. “Some specific subjects may again see a few vacant seats as they did last time, but overall, we expect a smooth admission process like the previous year,” he said.

Asutosh College Principal Manas Kabi shared his optimism, expressing trust in the state government and hoping for an early resolution. New Alipore College Principal Jaydeep Sarangi added that although the issue wasn’t discussed in detail at Sunday’s meeting, he remains hopeful that admissions will begin shortly.