Portal launched to fast-track approval of new subjects in colleges

Kolkata: The West Bengal State Council of Higher Education on Wednesday launched an online portal to streamline the approval process for introducing new subjects in government, government-aided, and private colleges.

The portal, subjectaffiliation.wb.gov.in, became operational from 10 am. Colleges can apply online to introduce new subjects, and the council will examine the applications and communicate decisions within a fixed timeframe.

State education minister Bratya Basu had earlier announced the initiative, saying it would ensure a transparent and time-bound system for granting approval. He said the portal was another step towards delivering faster and more transparent citizen services through the use of technology.

Officials said the move aims to reduce delays in starting new academic programmes. Until now, the process involved offline applications, submission of documents, and multiple stages of scrutiny, often leading to long waiting periods.

The new platform provides separate logins and dashboards for institutions. Colleges will be able to upload documents, track the progress of their applications in real time, and receive updates on any additional requirements or final decisions.

Sections of the academic community said a faster approval process could help colleges expand their academic offerings, particularly in information technology, data science, environmental studies, and other interdisciplinary or vocational courses.

Manas Kabi, principal of Ashutosh College and general secretary of the All Bengal Principals’ Council, welcomed the move. “This is an excellent initiative by the government. We had never imagined that applications for approvals could be made online. Earlier, the process involved applying offline and then inspections, which made it a long procedure. This will make work easier for college authorities and save time: ” he said.