Balurghat, May 3: Thousands of students willing to study BEd and BPEd courses in 10 private colleges in three districts of north Bengal are likely to face problems since the institutions have threatened to stop admission to protest a university decision.

Recently, Gour Banga University, to which the 10 colleges are affiliated, had advertised that the admission forms and prospectus for the courses would be available from the United Bank of India for Rs 500 each.

According to the advertisement, the forms were to have been available from today and would have continued till May 12. But the sale was deferred by a day and will start tomorrow.

The authorities of the 10 BEd (Bachelor of Education) and BPED (Bachelor of Physical Education) colleges in South and North Dinajpurs and Malda districts have unanimously decided that they will not admit any student till the university withdrew its order (to sell forms through bank).

Following the college authorities’ decision, many students fear that they may not get admission after buying the forms. “I am sensing a trouble after the colleges announced their decisions,” said Rakhi Mukherjee, a student interested in the BEd course.

Each college has 100 seats. Till last year, the institutions recruited students. This year, the university said it would send students to the colleges.

The Secretary of the Association of the Management of Non-government and Self-financing BEd and BPEd Colleges, Md Abdul Maleq, said till last year the colleges used to sell the prospectus at prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 200.

“That was one source of income for the colleges which do not get any government grant or aid. The university’s decision to stop this practice will affect the financial condition of the colleges,” Maleq said.

Naba Kumar Das, the secretary of Balurghat BEd College, echoed Maleq. “The university has prevented us from making any income, however paltry it is, by selling forms and prospectus,” he said.

The university had instructed the colleges to pay the teaching and non-teaching staff according to the 6th Pay Commission recommendations from this academic year, Das said. “But we have been denied the right to raise the course fee. At present, we charge Rs 21,600 per student a year. If we have to pay the employees following the university guidelines, we need to raise the course fee to Rs 71,000 per student.”

The registrar of the university, Apurba Chakraborty, said the decision to distribute forms and prospectus through banks had been taken by the executive council “in the interest of the students”. The rate had also been fixed by the EC. On the college authorities’ threats, the registrar said the varsity would ensure that the students were not affected by any means.