Three departments in Jadavpur University’s arts faculty have made a shift in their admission process. The sociology, philosophy, and Sanskrit departments will now admit students based entirely on Class XII board marks, abandoning the entrance tests they previously used.
Until last year, these departments followed the same pattern as other arts faculty departments — giving equal weightage to entrance test scores and Plus-II board results. This year marks a complete departure.
Philosophy department head Dipayan Pattanayak explained the decision, saying the department is “sure of attracting bright students based on the marks alone”.
Pattanayak, the philosophy department head, argued that Bengal boards now award high scores comparable to other state boards, ensuring a level playing field for students.
A sociology department teacher drew comparisons to prestigious institutions like St Xavier’s College and Scottish Church College, which already admit students based solely on board marks.
This shift is particularly significant given JU’s turbulent history with admission policies. In 2018, the state higher education department pressured the university to switch to marks-only admission across all departments. While JU initially complied, sustained protests from students and faculty forced are versal.
The protesters argued that marks-only admission would dilute academic standards and undermine university autonomy —concerns that led to the restoration of entrance tests.
Former English department head Manojit Mandal highlighted a striking contradiction. Both the philosophy and sociology departments had strongly supported entrance test-based admissions during the 2018 protests. Now, these same departments have switched positions, claiming to see no quality dilution in marks-only screening.
“The two departments — philosophy and sociology — then had joined the chorus of admitting students based on the admission tests. Now they have switched to only marks-based admission. Giving equal weightage to entrance test scores and Plus-II board results is the best way,” Mandal observed.
The Sanskrit department’s decision appears more pragmatic than ideological. According to university officials, the department struggles with inadequate numbers of candidates appearing for entrance tests, making the examination process unviable.
Sociology department head Piyali Sur described the change as experimental, suggesting they might return to entrance test-based screening next year.
The remaining seven departments in the arts faculty will continue their established practice of equal weightage to both entrance tests and Plus-II marks.
Acting registrar Indrajit Banerjee confirmed that individual departments have the authority to determine their screening methods.
Key dates
- Arts faculty applications open: June 18
- Science faculty applications open: June 18
This policy shift raises broader questions about admission standards and departmental autonomy at one of India’s premier universities, particularly given the heated debates that surrounded similar changes just seven years ago.