Over 28K students register on Day 1

Kolkata: More than 28,000 students registered on the newly-launched West Bengal Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) within just eight hours of its opening on Wednesday, according to state Education minister Bratya Basu. The portal was officially launched on Tuesday. The application process commenced at 10 am the following day.

By 6 pm on Wednesday, a total of 28,443 students had registered, submitting 71,949 applications, Basu said in a post on his official X handle. Of the total registered candidates, 251 students were from outside the state, he added.

Although the Higher Secondary (HS) examination results were declared on May 7, the launch of the portal was delayed by over a month due to ongoing legal impasse surrounding the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in the state. However, Basu pointed out that this year’s launch was still ahead of last year’s, when the portal had gone live on June 19.

The encouraging response from applicants has brought a sense of relief to colleges, many of which reported active engagement on day one. Jaydeep Sarangi, principal of New Alipore College, said his institution had received 387 applications through the portal by Wednesday evening. “The beginning is satisfactory,” he remarked. Meanwhile, Jadavpur University’s plan to open UG admissions for its Arts and Science faculties on Wednesday hit a snag.

The university’s admission window did not open as scheduled in light of an interim stay by the Calcutta High Court on the preparation of a new OBC list on Tuesday. Sources said the university is seeking legal advice before proceeding. However, the planned consultation on Tuesday had to be deferred because of student protests on campus.