Graduate students of Calcutta University are set to get another opportunity to change colleges at the end of their third year. Even if admission to their dream college slipped away in the first year for any reason, they will get a chance to study at their preferred college again at the end of the third year. Due to the new education policy, undergraduate courses have now become four years long. Students who will study in the fourth year will be called research graduates.
However, many colleges under the university do not have the infrastructure to teach the fourth year. Students from colleges that lack this infrastructure will get the opportunity to take admission in other colleges at the end of their third year.
ALSO READ | CBSE set to release class 10 and 12 admit cards 2026 soon: Here's how to download
There are 140-degree colleges under the university where graduation is conducted. The university is surveying to see how many of these colleges have the infrastructure and qualifications to teach the fourth year. It is almost certain that many of the colleges under the university will not meet those qualification standards. Since fourth-year studies are research-oriented, colleges need at least two PhD-qualified teachers, research centres, advanced laboratories, and libraries.
Calcutta University VC explains
Colleges without such infrastructure will not be permitted to teach the fourth year. Students from those colleges will get the opportunity to study at other colleges.
University Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh explains, "Suppose a college does not have the infrastructure to teach the fourth year. But there may be some students from there who will advance to the fourth year. Having 75 percent or more marks combining the previous three years, is mandatory for studying in the fourth year. To teach those students in the fourth year, colleges like Asutosh, Lady Brabourne, Bethune, Scottish Church, Maulana Azad, or other colleges that have the infrastructure and necessary permission to teach the fourth year can open their doors."
According to the VC, "At the end of the third year, qualified colleges can open new admission portals to take students for the fourth year. They will have to inform beforehand how many seats are vacant department-wise." After that, students will apply. Merit lists will be published according to the cut-offs set by the colleges. Many college principals have welcomed this initiative.
Manas Kabi, Principal of Asutosh College and General Secretary of the West Bengal Principals' Council, says, "This will fulfil students' desire to study in good colleges, and colleges with advanced infrastructure will be able to educate many more students." Madhumanjari Mondal, Principal of Scottish Church College, adds, "This admission arrangement at the end of the third year should remain in the hands of the colleges."
ALSO READ | JEE Mains 2026 Session 1 kicks off, here's what candidates must know
However, there are some questions as well. Previously, the state has witnessed incidents like admission corruption and seat selling for money at the undergraduate level. For this reason, the Higher Education Department has been conducting college admissions across the state through a centralised online system for the past two years.
The question has arisen: if the admission process for the third year goes back to the colleges' hands, won't the fear of corruption rear its head again? VC's response is, "I don't think that will happen. Because lakhs of students won't be taking admission. The number will remain very much under control."
However, the Principals' Council believes that to prevent this problem, the university will have to form a monitoring committee to conduct the admission process.
