Vacant general seats wait for takers; Kolkata colleges to reopen admission portals

KOLKATA: Many colleges have decided not to de-reserve seats in the undergraduate courses since there are still some vacancies in the unreserved category.
They have instead decided to reopen their admission portals inviting fresh applications to fill up the seats.
The authorities will decide on the issue of de-reservation of seats after the admissions in the second phase conclude.
In many colleges large number of seats in the reserved categories, including SC, ST, OBC A, and OBC B, have not been filled in several subjects increasing the worries of the principals.
They have already issued multiple notices informing the candidates about the vacancies in reserved categories.
“In many colleges, seats in the unreserved category are vacant so it does not make sense for those colleges to de-reserve seats. The higher education department has extended the deadline for admissions to the UG courses till October 30 so that colleges can fill up maximum seats,” said an official of the higher education department.
Gokhale Memorial Girls’ College is inviting fresh applications in subjects like mathematics, Bengali, communicative English and education. “Some general category seats are vacant in a few subjects along with reserved category seats. The second phase of admission to fill up these seats is underway,” said an official of the college.
Basanti Devi College where admissions in the second phase are underway, there are 16 vacant seats in economics, 14 in mathematics, 30 in communicative english, 26 in philosophy and 104 in BA general. All these vacant seats are in the unreserved category. “We are trying to fill up maximum seats as possible in this phase. Decision on the reserved category seats will be taken later,” said an official.
According to the West Bengal State Higher Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2013, if reserved category seats aren’t filled up, they can be offered to general category students after consulting the backward class welfare department. The law also provides with a provision where the seats in the reserved category remains vacant after every applicant has admitted, such seats can be opened for the general candidates so that no seat goes unfilled. Colleges like Shyamaprasad, Charuchandra and Vivekananda College have reopened their portals for fresh applications both in the reserved and the unreserved category.
Other colleges like Lady Brabourne, Scottish Church College, Bethune and Seth Anandaram Jaipuria College have not reopened their portals but have decided to issue provisional merit lists from the first phase.