Kolkata: A man who passed Madhyamik in 1993 and cleared his Higher Secondary (HS) examination this year has applied for undergraduate admission, prompting the Bengal Higher Education department to modify its centralised admission portal (WBCAP) to accommodate his unique case.
The applicant, who wishes to remain anonymous, hopes to pursue a PhD in the future and study alongside his son, who is already enrolled in a doctoral programme in Zoology.
However, when he tried to apply through the WBCAP portal, he discovered that it only allowed Madhyamik pass-out years from 2000 onwards. Determined not to give up, he contacted the department’s helpline and explained his situation.
Moved by his determination and in line with the government’s policy of promoting lifelong learning, officials made the necessary technical modifications to the system, enabling applicants with Madhyamik pass-out years as early as 1990 to apply. “The portal originally accepted Madhyamik pass-out years from 2000. Since he passed in 1993, he couldn’t apply,” a senior department official said. “But as he cleared Higher Secondary in 2025, there was no reason to prevent him from applying. So we modified the system to include years dating back to 1990.”
The official added: “This is a rare case, someone returning to formal education after 32 years. We saw no reason to deny him that opportunity.”
The man, who now aims to complete a B.Sc and eventually a PhD, said financial hardship had earlier forced him to abandon his studies. “I always wanted to study further, but I had to start working early. Now my son is pursuing his PhD and I want to follow that path too,” he told Millennium Post.
He has applied to only one college under West Bengal State University (WBSU), citing proximity and the availability of his preferred subject. Although the same course is offered by two colleges under Calcutta University, he said they are too far, given his work and family responsibilities.
“I’m the sole earning member of my family and have children to raise. I can’t afford to travel long distances for classes,” he said. “If I don’t get a seat in this college, I won’t pursue it further. My goal is fixed, I want to do a PhD in this subject only.”