Tue Aug 26 04:34:39 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

**West Bengal Colleges Face Empty Seats as Admission Delays and Out-of-State Options Deter Students**

**Kolkata, August 26, 2025** – Undergraduate colleges in West Bengal, particularly those run or aided by the state government, are facing a significant drop in enrollment this year, raising concerns that many seats will remain vacant. The primary cause is a substantial delay in the admission process, triggered by a legal battle surrounding the new OBC list prepared by the Trinamool Congress government, forcing the use of a centralized admission portal.

According to the Higher Education Department’s latest schedule, physical verification of students, the final step after the mop-up round, is slated for September 23-25, just days before the start of the Durga Puja festival on September 28.

Classes are supposed to start on August 29 but that is also when fourth-semester university exams are taking place, making it hard for colleges to hold classes.

“By this calculation, it’s been over three and a half months, and students are still unable to get admission, and Joint Entrance Exam results also show that many students who were initially here have gone elsewhere,” said one principal.

College administrators are also worried. “The admission picture is still quite unclear till now,” said Ayantika Ghosh, principal of Naba Ballygunge Mahavidyalaya. While the centralized portal showed interest from 386 students, only 131 had paid fees as of August 24, and only 55 had shown up for physical verification.

Principals also point to a trend of students seeking quicker paths to employment instead of traditional higher education and the lack of an academic calendar from Calcutta University. Not all colleges are struggling, however. New Alipore College principal Jaydeep Sarangi reported satisfactory initial trends, with 585 admissions and 85 verifications so far.

The situation has prompted calls for reflection on the state’s education system and its ability to retain students.

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