Reasons may include the desire to study outside the state for better prospects, indiscriminate growth of institutions and the economic impact of the pandemic.
Reasons may include the desire to study outside the state for better prospects, indiscriminate growth of institutions and the economic impact of the pandemic.
Colleges in West Bengal are failing to attract students as most of them are facing an unusually large number of vacancies for undergraduate courses this year, forcing the state government to extend the last date for admissions Is.
“It has been observed that a good number of seats are lying vacant in various general degree colleges and unitary universities at the UG level. assuming [this]The Competent Authority in the Higher Education Department has decided that the online standalone portal for UG courses in general degree colleges and unitary universities may be reopened from September 12 to September 16 for receiving fresh applications, if required. The government recently said in a circular to colleges and universities.
“The UG admission process to fill the vacant seats may continue till September 28,” the circular added, indicating how dire the situation is in the state. These days it is not uncommon for teachers to come across posts on their personal social media pages, urging potential candidates to join their institutions.
Teachers and parents saw a number of factors contributing to this sharp drop in the number of candidates seeking admission in local colleges, primary among them students moving out of West Bengal to study in the belief that the quality of education was high and respectable. The chances of getting a job are high there; And the explosion in the number of new colleges in the state.
“This has been happening for many years, especially in the suburbs but also in Kolkata. Recently, Lady Brabourne, a prestigious girls’ college, had to reduce the number of seats in some departments because of this. this year, [the decline] Possibly more obvious due to a combination of factors: economic insolvency induced by the pandemic, growth of private institutions with more lucrative courses, desperation among students to study outside Bengal,” said a Kolkata college teacher, who is not himself or herself. Wanted the name of the institution to be given.
“The most important thing is that in recent years so many colleges and universities have been opened all over the state indiscriminately without any Aadhar assessment whether there was a real demand for them,” the teacher said.
As a result, a large number of seats remain vacant in most of the colleges in West Bengal, even a month after the commencement of admissions and the publication of the merit list. “There could be other factors, besides migration of students to other states and mushrooming of institutions, such as school dropouts during the pandemic and many of them being lured by easy money to work for app-based services. Used to be. Where seats are usually filled within a month, said a teacher of a college affiliated with B++ grade in South 24 Parganas, which has not happened this year.