Kolkata, September 28 – The Centralised Admission Portal (CAP) for undergraduate courses in West Bengal has closed with 2,69,777 students admitted, but a large share of seats remain vacant.
Education department data show only 28.81% of 9.36 lakh seats were filled after two CAP rounds, despite 4.21 lakh registrations. Officials cite late timelines, subject mismatches, and students holding multiple offers as key reasons for the shortfall.
Colleges expect a decentralised admission window after the Puja recess to backfill vacancies. Students have been advised to monitor individual college notices for spot rounds and verification updates.
The trend mirrors previous years, marked by shifting dates, multiple verification phases, and uneven demand. Urban and STEM courses filled quickly, while colleges in peripheral areas and certain humanities streams struggled to attract applicants.
For students still waiting, experts stress three steps: keep documents ready, track updates daily, and remain flexible on subject-college choices to avoid losing the semester.
For policymakers, the low fill rate raises concerns about seat rationalisation, counselling gaps, and poor sync with board exam calendars. Analysts say guided counselling, staggered deadlines, and data-driven planning will be crucial for long-term fixes.
A post-Puja mop-up round may slightly improve the numbers, but the challenge of balancing capacity with demand remains a systemic issue for West Bengal’s higher education sector.