College admission and fees to go online from next year: Mamata

Kolkata: Amidst regular complaints of extortion from students for admission to colleges, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that fees for the purpose will have to be paid online through banks from next year.

She made it clear that undergraduate admission in colleges across the state would be strictly on the basis of merit and there would be no counselling from 2019.

"Admission related fees would be collected through banks," Banerjee told reporters while leaving the state Secretariat. The state Higher Education department has already issued a notification in this regard making it clear that students will no longer have to travel physically to the institutions for purpose of admission.

State Education minister Partha Chatterjee further reiterated that admission in colleges can be carried out without verification and counselling.

"The verification would be conducted after the first year admission procedures are complete. We have sent the instruction to all colleges in the districts regarding the cancellation of counselling. We have sought information on the availability of seats in various institutes. For verification, no admission procedure would be stopped," he maintained making it clear that the new process will ensure that student unions will not be able to have any effect on college admissions.

Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police continued its crackdown against those involved in collecting money for admission and the sleuths of the anti-rowdy section of the detective department on Tuesday afternoon arrested one S K Jasimuddin (20), a second-year student of Surendranath College while taking money to the tune of Rs 30,000 from a student for admission in Zoology Honours course. It is learnt that Jasimuddin had told Shreyasi Patra, the student, that against the payment he would make arrangements for her admission in one of three colleges of her choice — Bangabasi or Surendranath College or City College. Shreyasi, a resident of Panchla in Howrah, had come to Jagat cinema hall in Sealdah as directed by Jasimuddin and was caught red-handed.

The Trinamool Chattra Parishad (TMCP) took a strong stand against irregularities of admission and dismantled the unions in four colleges — Gurudas College, Vidyasagar College, City College and Ananda Mohan College.

TMCP president Jaya Dutta who held a meeting with student representatives of North Kolkata colleges on Tuesday announced the decision of the TMCP and said the party will not stand by anybody who will be found indulging in extortion for admission and the police will take stern action as per law.

Meanwhile, principals of the morning, day and night sections of Surendranath College came together to talk on the ongoing issues in the college. The police had raided the residence of a Group D staff of the college — Ratul Ghosh — for his involvement in admission irregularities on Monday but were unable to trace him.

Indranil Kar, principal of Surendranath Day College, said: "We have not found any proof against him. In absence of concrete evidence, no action can be taken against him by the governing body of the college. However, as the administrator of the institute, I have issued a letter at his registered address asking for the truth of the matter. We have also sought his reply within seven days."

On the question of Ratul being absconding and taking a probable hide at Bankura, the principal said that he has been absent since later part of last week. "Since the college has just resumed classes after the summer recess, confirming him being absconding or taking a hide is difficult," he claimed.

The pro vice-chancellor of Panchanan Verma University in Cooch Behar Deb Kumar Mukhopadhyay paid visits to various undergraduate colleges in the district to ensure that there is no irregularity in the admission process. He also spoke to students and their guardians to instill confidence among them.