BJP, Left slam Mamata government for scrapping online admissions

Slamming the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government's decision to drop mandatory online admission to undergraduate courses in state-run colleges in West Bengal, the BJP and the Left Front Wednesday said the move will encourage malpractices and nepotism.

Citing inadequate infrastructure, newly appointed Education Minister Partha Chatterjee May 29 had announced the decision of dropping the online admission system that was made mandatory from 2014-15 through an earlier government notification.

"The online system has been dropped because the Trinamool leaders did not like it. With the old system back, once again people would be minting money by allowing admissions through unscrupulous means," state BJP president Rahul Sinha said adding that the party's youth wing will hold a demonstration against this decision before the state education department Friday.

The Left Front too has slammed the decision and met Governor M.K. Narayanan, who is also the chancellor of universities, during the day to seek his intervention in the matter.

"While the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) had announced and argued in favour of online admission process on the basis of merit list, the state government has now cancelled its previous order which will certainly encourage malpractice and nepotism.

"We urge upon you as the chancellor of the universities to look into the matter and ensure necessary steps for transparent admission process," the Left Front said in its memorandum to the governor.