Calcutta University is taking initiative to prevent 'poor results' of college students in master's programs. To end the tug-of-war between colleges and the university regarding examinations and evaluation in postgraduate courses, authorities will arrange examinations with separate question papers. Much like the undergraduate pattern, teachers from respective institutions will set questions for postgraduate college students. To avoid allegations of bias, those questions will be moderated by subject-wise teachers from the university. Students who will be admitted to master's programs at the university and affiliated colleges in the 2026 academic year will have examinations under this new system.
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This proposal emerged from discussions between Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh and principals and departmental heads of colleges where master's programs are taught under university affiliation. Among the 150 colleges affiliated with the university, 34 colleges have approximately 3,500 seats for postgraduate programs in various subjects of science, commerce and arts streams.
Background to the decision
Before 2018, college authorities used to handle everything regarding master's students – admission, syllabus preparation, examinations and evaluation. The university only awarded degrees. However, when allegations of favoritism towards their own students arose against the colleges, the university took over all responsibilities. This resulted in poor results even for supposedly good students in college postgraduate programs, with many failing.
Consequently, master's courses in colleges experienced a decline. Teachers and principals of colleges complained that the entire syllabus was not being taught at the university. Questions in examinations were being set from only a few chapters. Subject-wise teachers at the university were teaching according to their own special papers and setting semester questions based on that. They were also evaluating answer scripts. Therefore, university students were getting better results. The complaint was that even when college teachers set subject-wise question papers for master's programs, they were completely changed during moderation. Instead, questions came only from topics taught at the university.
Consultations still ongoing
In science too, allegations arose that university teachers were setting most questions in examinations from their own research topics. However, departmental heads and teachers of the university counter-claimed that questions prepared by college teachers lacked much subject-wise depth.
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Moreover, they used to give higher marks by evaluating answer scripts of students from their own colleges. Again, after 2018, college teachers also put university professors in the dock with the same allegations. Ashutosh says, 'preliminary discussions have been held with college principals. Detailed discussions will be held with departmental heads and boards of studies of the university. Only then will the decision be finalized.'
According to Lady Brabourne College Principal Shiuli Sarkar, 'bringing colleges under one umbrella this way will maintain the quality of teaching, evaluation and answer script assessment, while also nullifying the allegations raised before 2018.' Ashutosh College Principal Manas Kobi says, 'the Vice-Chancellor had called us on Saturday regarding some problems in master's programs. That discussion was extremely fruitful.'
