Kolkata: A debate has started within Calcutta University over a proposal to standardise undergraduate admissions by using only the “best-of-four” marks, instead of also considering subject-specific scores as many colleges now do.The issue surfaced at a meeting on Thursday held to finalise criteria for the new admission cycle. While the university is understood to favour a uniform system across colleges, several prominent institutions argued that such a move could ignore academic suitability for particular courses.Among those opposing the proposal were Lady Brabourne College, Scottish Church and Asutosh College, all of which said they preferred retaining the traditional method that factors in marks obtained in relevant subjects.Lady Brabourne principal Siuli Sarkar said subject scores remain crucial in assessing students for different disciplines. She said language marks are considered for social science courses, while chemistry marks are key for students seeking admission to zoology or botany. This method has worked effectively over the years, and several colleges supported continuation of this format, she said.Concerns were also raised about students entering specialised courses without adequate grounding. A north Kolkata college principal cited a case of a student admitted to statistics through the best-of-four method who later struggled due to weak subject fundamentals. Scottish Church principal Madhumanjari Mandal said her institution, being a minority college and outside the centralised admission portal, follows its own merit index including subject scores. She said the college would comply with university rules on registration but did not want to alter its admission system.Asutosh College principal Manas Kabi argued that relying only on best-of-four marks could disadvantage students strong in their chosen subject but weaker overall.Not all colleges opposed the proposal. New Alipore College principal Jaydeep Sarangi said a uniform system could help fill more seats and give opportunities to capable students. Sources said the move followed discussions with the Higher Education Council, in line with provisions of the National Education Policy 2020, which encourages flexibility and student mobility across institutions. A university official said feedback from colleges would be placed again before the Council.
