The Department of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal, has officially launched the West Bengal Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) for the 2025-2026 academic session. The portal was declared open today, June 17, from 2 PM by the state education minister, Bratya Basu, at the press conference in Bikash Bhavan.
The application that was initially scheduled to begin on June 17 has now been postponed and will commence on June 18 and continue until July 1, 2025.
This single-window platform has been designed to manage admissions to undergraduate programmes in 17 universities and 460 government and government-aided colleges and higher educational institutions (HEIs) across the state. The centralised system aims to streamline the process, making it more transparent and student-friendly.
New Single OTP Login System
One of the significant upgrades this year is the introduction of a single OTP-based login system. Unlike the previous system, where students had to manage OTPs sent to both mobile and email — often causing complications due to inactive or incorrect email addresses — the new portal will send a single OTP to the mobile number provided by the applicant. This move is expected to minimise login issues and technical glitches faced by students during the registration process in earlier years.
Additionally, to make the application process even smoother, Bangla Sahayata Kendras will offer offline assistance, while an AI-based chatbot - ‘Beena’ - integrated into the portal will provide real-time guidance to applicants.
Multi-Phase Course Selection
Another innovation in the WBCAP system is the multi-phase course selection process. Applicants can apply for up to 25 different course combinations across colleges and universities in West Bengal. However, to reduce errors, students will initially be able to choose 10 preferences. The remaining 15 options will appear one by one via an interactive pop-up, with applicants confirming each choice before proceeding to the next.
Key Dates (Phase 1)
The launch of this centralised admission portal is expected to ease the pressure on students and institutions alike, creating a more efficient, transparent, and technology-driven system for undergraduate admissions in West Bengal. With added support from AI tools and offline help centres, the 2025 admission season is set to be smoother and more student-centric than the previous year.
For more information and to apply, students can visit the official WBCAP website.