A forum of former Presidency students urged the restoration of department-led independent admission tests across all departments at the foundation day programme, in the presence of vice-chancellor Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty.
The forum said admission tests were the most effective way to identify academically bright and suitable students.
Presidency observed its 209th foundation day on Tuesday.
Veteran alumnus Jyotirmoy Pal Chaudhuri, who has authored several articles on the histories of Africa and Liberia received Atul Chandra Gupta Distinguished Alumnus Award at the event.
Alumni association president Sutirtha Bhattacharya called for uniform screening criteria for undergraduate admissions across all 16 departments.
Currently, nine departments plan to conduct admission tests, while the remaining seven — including the physics department— intend to admit students based on Plus-II board scores.
The association had written to the vice-chancellor last week, reiterating the same demand.
Prasanta Ray, emeritus professor and Presidency alumnus, said students should not be admitted based on “inflated board marks,” which he argued do not reflect aptitude.
“Students must be admitted with equal weightage given to admission tests and board scores,” he said.
Recalling earlier practices, Bhattacharya, a former managing director of Coal India and an alumnus of the physics department, said student intake was once guided by the institution itself.
“We are happy that the university leadership has taken steps in that direction,” said Bhattacharya .
Bhattacharya entered the physics department in 1974 after clearing the admission test, which he said was set by eminent teachers, including Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri.
“Department-led admission tests can determine whether a student has the academic grasp required to pursue a subject,” he added.
On January 7, several former students said they were “upset” with the decision to introduce marks-based admissions.
Somak Raychaudhury, former head of the physics department and former dean of science at Presidency, told Metro: “I stood second in the higher secondary exams in 1980, but Presidency did not enrol me in the physics department based on my marks. I had to write an entrance test, which proved I had what it took to pursue physics there.”
Gautam Mandal of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), who topped the HS exams the same year and also cleared the entrance test, said selection through entrance tests was preferable to relying solely on board marks.
“Board scores do not indicate aptitude for specific subjects,” he said.
At Presidency, the departments independently conducted admission tests till 2015.
VC Chakraborty said: “The admission committee has met once on the issue of screening students. They would meet again. The departments are deliberating on the way forward. Let them say what they have to say. Then a decision will be taken.”