The West Bengal Department of Higher Education has directed all state-funded colleges and universities, including Presidency University, to conduct undergraduate admissions on basis of marks obtained by the students in their Class 12th Board examinations.

Presidency, as a college and university, has historically conducted its admission procedure on the basis of entrance examinations. In the recent past, many have rightfully identified the handing over of the admission process to the West Bengal Joint Entrance Board and the initiation of MCQ-based examinations to be some of the many reasons behind the decline of the University, academically and otherwise. Students have continued raising their voice against the WBJEEB but they have vehemently resisted the suicidal idea of conducting admissions on the basis of Board examinations. 

It is the admission test of Presidency University that has been able to resist the epochs of violence, corruption and intransparent methods of admission based on party affiliation and influence of political leaders.

Admission test as a separate demarcator is never an elitist idea. Infact, all universities and colleges must have the right to decide whether to conduct examinations on the basis of board examinations of hold entrance tests. As students, we have always debated and discussed the limitations of Board examinations. We believe that the very idea of 'University' is concerned with overcoming such limitations, beyond the orthodox practices of academia.

Admissions based on board examinations have often been associated with violence and corruption in various Kolkata colleges. Presidency has, till date, managed to resist the practice of violence and corruption surrounding admissions.Therefore, this directive of the government presents itself as a step towards normalising interference of the government and the dada-s and didi-s of political parties in academia. Not only in this case, we have seen how the government and the UGC have often meddled with various aspects within academics, ranging from syllabus to research. Therefore, we see the above mentioned directive from the government as a direct inference into the autonomy of our University. 

We have seen that the authority has used various means to do away with admission tests previously. Everytime they have tried the same, from the left rule till the current TMC rule, they have been resisted. Therefore, it appears to us that citing the pandemic as an excuse, the authority (and the government) may actually try to permanently do away with admission tests. We have seen how the governments, both in the centre and state, and the corporate companies have employed similar tactics to amend laws in their favour during the pandemic. 

However, the concern regarding whether admission tests can be conducted in the current scenario is indeed legitimate. We would like to respectfully say that the academic session for the current year has already been delayed. However, exams like the NEET, JEE mains and NET have not been cancelled. Then, why is the Presidency entrance exam being cancelled? We can clearly see that the government is not even willing to strategise how to conduct the Presidency admission test maintaining the health protocol. Why has the government unnecessarily taken a hasty decision regarding the cancellation of the Presidency entrance when none of the entrances like the NEET, NET and JEE have been cancelled? Isn't it obvious that the government is actually trying to fulfill its wish of permanently doing away with the admission test using the pandemic as an excuse?

Therefore, we bring forward the following demands,

1) We do not accept the interference of the government in the university's autonomy.

2) No decision about entrance tests can be taken without taking into account the suggestions of the major stakeholders (the students) of the university.

3) Entrance examinations should be held maintaining the required health standards without any haste.

We comprehend the government directive to cancel the Presidency University entrance examination without consulting the major stakeholders of the university as an attack on the autonomy and the history of Presidency University. 

Ahan Karmakar 

Asif Abdullah