Kolkata: The state Higher Education department on Tuesday launched its centralised admission portal for undergraduate (UG) admissions to 7,229 courses across 460 government and government-aided colleges under 17 universities. Applications will be accepted from 10 am on Wednesday.
Launching the portal, state Education minister Bratya Basu said students can apply for up to 25 courses in one or multiple colleges without paying any application fee. The first-phase application window will remain open till July 1. Merit lists and seat allotments will be published on July 6, and students must confirm admission by July 12. An upgrade round will follow, with fresh allotments on July 17 and admissions closing on July 20. Physical verification will be held between July 24 and 31. Classes for the 2025–26 session will begin on August 1.
This year, the portal features ‘Bina’, an AI-powered chatbot named after the instrument of the goddess Saraswati. Designed to handle basic queries, Bina will assist applicants alongside a helpline (1800-102-8014) and an email-based grievance redressal system.
To confirm admission, students must pay the course fee online. In the upgrade round, only the fee difference needs to be paid if a higher preference is allotted. If the newly-allotted course has a lower fee, the excess amount will be refunded automatically. Basu advised applicants to use their own mobile numbers and email IDs to receive timely updates and to enter bank details carefully to avoid refund issues.
Responding to queries about the portal’s delayed launch, Basu said: “There were complications related to reservation. We issued the admission notification within seven days of the Backward Classes Welfare Department’s gazette.”
He also addressed concerns about the ongoing case in the Calcutta High Court (HC) regarding OBC reservations. “In my view, admissions will not be affected. If the court issues any directive, we will take an emergency decision accordingly,” he said. However, later in the day, the HC issued an interim stay on the preparation of the OBC list in the state. Higher Education department sources said the admission process would continue for now, pending further instructions.
Although around 9 lakh seats are available, as in previous years, officials expect a dip in enrolments. In 2024, 4,44,190 students were admitted through the portal. In 2025, only 4,30,286 candidates passed the Higher Secondary examination, along with 27,456 from ISC and 39,792 from CBSE, totalling 4,97,534 eligible students. Many are expected to opt for professional courses such as engineering.
The education department also plans to rationalise seat distribution based on demand. “We aim to increase seats in high-demand subjects and colleges while reducing excess capacity in low-demand areas. But this will take time,” Basu added.
The second phase of admission, or mop-up round, will begin on August 2 and continue until August 24.