Patna: The Federation of University Teachers' Associations of Bihar (Futab) has opposed the education department's move of giving responsibility to the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) to carry out the admission process of first-year undergraduate courses at 11 universities.

The BSEB would carry out the admission process of undergraduate students at the state universities except Patna University. The university carries out admissions in first-year undergraduate courses through an entrance test. The board will carry out the admission based on marks and for this the board has asked the state universities to furnish details on the number of colleges in the state universities, courses offered in undergraduate streams and the number of seats in undergraduate courses.

K.B. Sinha, the working president of Futab, said: "The education department by bestowing power to the BSEB to carry out admission at the universities is an attempt to interfere in the working and autonomy of the universities. Universities are autonomous bodies and its syndicates, academic council and vice-chancellor take calls on the admission, registration and teaching at the degree colleges."

The associations have also slammed the vice-chancellors for "surrendering" before the education department's directives. Sinha said the board has no additional powers to direct or regulate admissions to degree colleges, but according to the BSEB directives the principals of the degree colleges have been directed to furnish information such fee structures before the board invites applications from students for online admissions.