Calcutta: Entrance tests for six undergraduate arts courses at Jadavpur University "won't be outsourced", teachers were assured on Wednesday after the admissions committee fixed a July 21-25 schedule for the exams.

"The task of conducting the admission tests and evaluation of answer scripts won't be outsourced," acting registrar Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya said after the admissions committee meeting.

The assurance that no external agency would have a role in setting question papers appeared to address the one concern that had remained after the university's executive council resolved to restore entrance tests with 50 per cent weightage to board exam scores.

Teachers across the six departments that will hold entrance tests to select a new batch of undergraduate students said they felt relieved that their stand not to be part of a marks-based admission process had not been in vain.

Several officials said the university's decision not to outsource the process was almost a pledge to restore to each of the departments the liberty to set the question papers and pick the most deserving students.

Asked about the contours of the new formula, dean of arts Subhasis Biswas said: "This mechanism will remain confidential. I will only say that admission tests will be conducted by Jadavpur University."

The detailed schedule along with subject cut-offs will be uploaded to www.jaduniv.edu.in. "There won't be any extension in the deadline for online submission of application forms. That deadline is July 12," Biswas said.

A head of the department who attended Wednesday's meeting said teachers of the respective departments will set the question papers, but a handful of external examiners might be involved in the evaluation process.

Some teachers in the arts faculty who had dissociated themselves from the admission process felt the university should state in writing what their role in the admission process would be.

"During this period, the legality of our participation in the admission process was questioned. Where is the assurance that it will not be questioned again? It should be given to us in writing (that autonomy will be respected).... This is a compromise formula but it has to be worked out because it concerns the future of the 17,000 applicants," said Sudeshna Banerjee, a professor of history.

Asked whether all the concerns of the teachers had been taken care of, dean Biswas told Metro on Wednesday: "That I think was taken care of through a resolution drawn up at the council meeting on July 10, where we the council affirmed faith in the teachers and requested their full cooperation in the admission process."