The higher-education bureaucracy in Calcutta could certainly do with some simplification. Given the unmanageable numbers that apply for admission to the colleges under Calcutta University, it is sensible of its undergraduate council to abolish the rather arbitrary practice of marking down the ISC and CBSE candidates during admission and setting them apart from the uchcha madhyamik students. The earlier practice was based on some sort of vaguely held assumption that the latter scored less than the former, and, quite as arbitrarily, it has now been decided that this disparity does not exist any more, hence the adjustment would be unnecessary and, indeed, unjust. The West Bengal Council has now introduced grades, like the other boards, and this ensures a degree of uniformity, which should, however, not be taken entirely for granted. The various boards should get together and make sure that such a uniformity really exists, and should also draw up guidelines for maintaining it. A number of examinations based on different curricula and standards of evaluation could end up creating not only confusion, but also gross unfairness.

Calcutta University has also decided to be firm about applicants clearing their English paper, even if it happens to be the second language. Such a move should be supplemented with more careful teaching of the language in school, so that students feel less at sea with English, resulting in long-lasting disadvantages and disgruntlements. If the raising of the qualifying marks in the honours subjects is also being considered, then the matter should be thought through without worrying unduly about ‘elitism’. The priority of academic excellence is essential if the university is to recover from the degradation of its standards and credibility. On a less serious note, doing away with migration certificates if students come from the other boards into the university’s colleges is also a welcome move. The principle behind it seems to be administrative streamlining. And this too should be extended to every other aspect of the university’s academic functioning. Calcutta University badly needs to modernize its image and attitude to higher education, and remember its accountability to the students whose lives it has the power to make or unmake.