The education department on Tuesday asked the state-aided universities to start postgraduate classes from August 1.
The department said in a notice that the online admission process should be done “strictly based on merit”.
The admission process should be completed by the first week of July, it says.
Last week, the department set the deadline for the start of the undergraduate courses from July 6.
The department said that universities like Calcutta University will have to set aside 80% of the postgraduate seats for students graduating from its affiliated colleges.
The remaining 20% seats will be reserved for students coming from other universities.
In unitary universities like Jadavpur University, 80% of the postgraduate seats will have to be set aside for students of the university’s own undergraduate students.
An education department official said they have asked the universities to strictly follow the academic calendar so that there is no deviation from what has been ordered.
“Last year, the postgraduate classes started on September 1. This year, the classes will start a month earlier. If the classes are not started earlier, the syllabus remains incomplete, and students suffer and struggle to write the examinations,” the department official said.
“Besides, if the classes are started late, many students leave Bengal to pursue postgraduate studies elsewhere,” the official said.
The notification from the education department states that no money will be charged from students for scanning or uploading of documents for the online admission process.
“Eligible persons should be directly informed by the higher educational institutions through letter, email or telecommunications. The list of the eligible candidates should be handed over to the banks for verification during payments,” said an official.