Student unions continue to meddle in the admission process, thanks to certain steps introduced by many colleges in the city.

The government had started an online admission system last year to do away with this practice.

The system was introduced to ensure unions don't interfere at any stage and students need not visit colleges before the final selection, a higher education department official said.

Metro did not find unions running help desks or kiosks outside colleges - a common sight till 2014. But union members, posing as volunteers, spoke to students almost everywhere.

Many students complained of harassment at the hands of union members.

A student at Umesh Chandra College said "volunteers" had forced him to show his mark sheet for verification before he could step inside the institution.

Another student said union members at Maharaja Manindra Chandra College did not let him opt for a combination of subjects he had planned to pursue.

Physical verification of mark sheets after the publication of provisional merit lists and counselling of students are some of the steps introduced by the colleges.

Last year, the government had banned union-run help desks and kiosks.

Union members have been accused of forcing students to pay for help in the admission process, promising seats against payment and forcing freshers to support a union's parent organisation.

Universities started the online admission process to do away with such practice.

In the new system, students have to submit their admission forms online after keying in their marks. But the software would allow submission of forms only if a student fulfils the eligibility criteria.

In the next step, students have to pay an application fee in a designated bank. Banks will notify the colleges and they will then prepare and publish the merit list online.

Selected candidates have to visit a college to get their mark sheets verified. After completing admission formalities, they will have to pay the admission fee in a designated bank.

Students receive roll numbers, sections and date of commencement of classes through online messages.

"Provisional merit lists for verification of mark sheets and counselling are not needed if the guidelines are followed," the higher education department official said.

"Colleges can straightaway verify documents of selected candidates at the time of admission. They can reject a student if the documents don't match the eligibility criteria."

But many colleges have asked students to remain present on the campus in the middle of the admission process, a source claimed.

Unions have a field day in Umesh Chandra, Jaipuria, Maharaja Manindra Chandra, Surendranath and Asutosh colleges, he said.

Some college heads said they were aware of the government guidelines but could do little in the face of "intense pressure from students unions".

The Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) controls almost 95 per cent of the colleges.

The Jaipuria authorities said the college had to follow a partial online process for want of proper technical support.

"We have introduced a complete online admission process for students in physics, math, food and nutrition and psychology this year," a college official said. "We are trying to ensure students get admitted only through the online process in all subjects from next year."

Asutosh principal Dipak Kar, however, rubbished the allegation and claimed that all admissions so far at his college had been based on merit.

Jaya Dutta, the state TMCP president, admitted to the involvement of student volunteers in the admission process.

"There is nothing wrong in union members helping students as volunteers," Dutta said.

"The government has banned union-run help desks and kiosks in front of colleges. Our organisation hasn't violated this order anywhere in the state."