West Bengal postpones CET for PG courses to 2014

The West Bengal government has postponed the proposed Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to postgraduate courses in the state universities by another year, to 2014. All the state universities have been ordered to stick to the admission procedure that was followed last year.

Last week, the higher education department issued a circular to all the vice-chancellors of state-aided universities making it mandatory to reserve 40% of their seats in postgraduate programmes for candidates from other colleges or universities. The remaining of the 60% postgraduate seats will be reserved for students from their own colleges.

Until 2011, most of the state universities had kept 95% of post graduate seats for students from colleges affiliated to them and only 5% for those from the outside. However, the ratio was changed to 60:40 by the Trinamool Congress government last year.

Later on, West Bengal CET was proposed to be conducted for all the state varsities and autonomous colleges offering post graduate courses from 2013, reported a leading daily.

"We had plans to introduce the CET from this year. It would have solved all problems and put merit above all other considerations. But, we could not make arrangements within such a short span of time. We hope to introduce CET from 2014 academic session. Till then, to ensure meritorious students have an equal opportunity to find a subject and seat of their choice and allow mobility of the best brains to the centers of excellence, we have requested all universities to reserve 40% seats for outside students with high merit," said education minister Bratya Basu.

A senior higher education official said, "Since the universities enjoy some autonomy, they can hold interviews, conduct admission tests or select candidates on the basis of marks in their undergraduate honours courses. It is up to the varsities to decide on the method they will choose.”