Presidency Univ teachers urge to take back entrance test responsibility from WBJEEB

Kolkata: A large section of Presidency University teachers has urged the vice-chancellor to regain control of the institution’s undergraduate and postgraduate entrance examinations from next year, taking the responsibility back from the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB).

In a letter signed by professor Arnab Halder on behalf of the faculty, the teachers expressed “collective concern” over the stalled admissions for 2025-26, warning that Presidency risks losing meritorious applicants to Jadavpur University and St. Xavier’s College, which have already begun their admission process.

The undergraduate entrance test (PUBDET) was held on June 21 and 22, but results remain pending due to an OBC quota-related impasse and a subsequent Calcutta High Court order. The postgraduate entrance examination (PUMDET) has seen no progress, with the application process scheduled to start on August 8 cancelled for the same reason. This has ignited the demand to bring the process back in-house.

“This prolonged delay tarnishes the reputation of the university and will directly affect the quality and quantity of our intake,” the letter said, adding that the uncertainty has left students “frustrated and anxious.”

Faculty members criticised the Board’s handling of the process, recalling that until 2015, Presidency teachers were involved in setting question papers, ensuring “academic rigour and contextual appropriateness.” They argue that as a liberal arts institution, Presidency is ill-served by a purely multiple-choice format devised by external paper-setters unfamiliar with its academic ethos.