West Bengal extends college application deadline amid vacant seats: Is higher education in the state losing its appeal?

In a move that raises more questions than answers, the West Bengal government has extended the deadline for college applications by two weeks, pushing it to July 15. The decision comes despite the fact that thousands of seats in state-run and aided colleges remain unfilled.

While the official reason given was to offer convenience to students, the extension has stirred whispers about a deeper issue — is the charm of higher education in West Bengal fading?Since the launch of the centralised admission portal last year, expectations were high that the streamlined process would boost enrolment. However, the numbers paint a different picture. Only around 3.2 lakh students have registered so far, with 18.24 lakh applications submitted.

These figures, by all accounts, are underwhelming for a state with a vast youth population. Moreover, 2,801 of the registered students come from other states, suggesting that local enrollment is struggling even more.Vacant seats and delayed portals: A worrying comboThe delayed launch of the centralised admission portal itself didn’t help matters. Caught in legal complications over the list of communities eligible for reservation under the OBC category, the system’s opening faced an unusually long wait.

This hiccup may have encouraged students to look elsewhere, contributing to the large number of vacant seats in colleges. The legal tangle is reportedly set for a hearing at the end of this month, but the uncertainty has already taken a toll.

The extension of the deadline by two weeks from the original July 1 date, according to Education Minister Bratya Basu’s recent X post, was “taken on the instruction of the Chief Minister for the convenience of students.”

Convenient or not, the extension is also seen by many as a desperate attempt to fill up seats that would otherwise remain empty.Are students fleeing Bengal’s colleges?Behind the numbers lies a more worrying trend. Students appear to be migrating to other states such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar. The reasons are many — from a grim employment outlook to safety concerns within colleges. The reputation of some institutions has taken a hit following incidents that raised questions about law and order, leading to an “adverse student-teacher ratio” that further dissuades admissions.In addition, many young people are turning towards vocational training or immediate employment instead of traditional degree programmes. The mismatch between available courses and student interests, coupled with delayed admissions, might also explain the drop in applications. A professor anonymously noted the stark decline in applicants this year compared to last, with some departments receiving only a third of their usual applications.

Whether this extension will reverse the trend remains to be seen. For now, the scene is clear: West Bengal’s colleges are struggling to attract students, and the state’s higher education system may be losing the appeal it once proudly held.