Calcutta, May 7: Presidency College will revert to the old admission system for two of the six departments that were to scrap entrance tests.

Principal Sanjib Ghosh would not confirm it, but the Presidency College Students’ Union said the authorities “decided” two days ago not to tamper with the admission system followed by the departments of statistics and sociology.

“The principal confirmed to us on Monday itself that the departments of statistics and sociology would conduct entrance tests this year. The issue of whether to continue with entrance tests for the other four departments will be taken up at a meeting on Friday,” Abhijit Sarkar, the general secretary of the union, said.

Students and alumni of the institution were against the idea of doing away with entrance tests, believing it would encourage mediocrity.

Apart from statistics and sociology, the college authorities had decided to scrap entrance tests for mathematics, geology, philosophy and Bengali this year and gradually from the 11 other departments.

The departments of statistics and sociology were never keen to abolish entrance tests, but the faculty agreed to take in students on the basis of marks secured in board examinations if all other departments accepted the proposal.

Quoting from a circular issued by the principal on Monday, a source said a decision on BA/BSc admissions would be taken in consultation with all class representatives, teachers in charge of the students’ union, convenors of the admission committee, heads of the departments of geology, mathematics, Bengali and philosophy and the secretary of the teachers’ council.

Ghosh declined comment on why the circular did not mention the departments of statistics and sociology. “No final decision has been taken. The matter of admission tests is still under consideration,” he said.

Sarkar said entrance tests must be held by all departments to maintain quality. “If two of the departments that were asked to scrap tests can be excluded from the decision, the authorities should not have a problem doing the same for the other four.”

The union is waiting to see the outcome of Friday’s meeting before deciding what to do next.