Colleges and state-aided universities will issue admission forms for undergraduate courses from June 2, the state council for higher education said on Wednesday.

The institutes have been asked to start holding entry tests or interviews on June 23, after the joint entrance examination (JEE) results are announced. First-year classes are likely to start from July 8.

“The universities and colleges have been directed to start the admission process a little late this year because of the postponement of the JEE,” council chairman Subimal Sen said after meeting vice-chancellors of various universities.

The JEE will be held on May 24 and the results are likely to be declared by June 15.

Sources said the council deferred the admission process to ensure that seats in the BA, B.Sc and B.Com courses do not remain vacant.

Had the admission opened before the declaration of the JEE results, many students who will sit for the entry test for engineering or medical courses would have enrolled for the general streams as well.

“Later, once the JEE results are out, the successful candidates may not have joined the general courses. This would have resulted in several seats being left vacant,” said a council official.

The Higher Secondary results, till last year, were declared in May-end or in the first week of June. The admission process in the colleges and universities would start by June 10.

“We want the colleges and universities to follow a single academic calender. That’s another reason for the directive, asking the institutes to start distributing admission forms from June 2,” Sen pointed out.