Kolkata: More than 36,000 students registered for the first round of counselling for engineering, technology and architecture courses (except pharmacy) being conducted by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) this year, marking a 34.3% rise from last year’s 27,135 registrations, shared chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on X.One of the primary reasons for the rise was the early start of the admissions, said an expert, pointing out that last year, the entire entrance process was pushed back owing to the OBC category dispute.Starting off earlier than last year, the entrance process to 87 engineering institutes in Bengal was launched on Wednesday and will end on Saturday (July 11). In the first round, almost 100% of the engineering, technology and architecture seats at govt and aided colleges and universities, marked for this round, were allotted. The counselling for pharmacy courses will begin shortly.“It is a matter of great pride and optimism to see that for the first time in many years, all seats in government engineering colleges have been filled in the very first round of WBJEE counselling. This trend clearly indicates that our bright students are increasingly choosing to pursue higher technical education in our own state. It is heartening to see our youth reposing their faith in the academic environment of West Bengal,” CM Adhikari posted on X.Among the 36,431 candidates registered in the first round of counselling, 26,902 were boys and 9,528 girls. The data revealed a 42% rise in the registration of girls and 32% of boys compared to last year, when 20,417 boys registered for the first round of counselling and 6,718 girls.“Our ultimate goal is to transform ‘Brain Drain’ into ‘Brain Gain’ by creating world class opportunities right here at home, ensuring that our talented youth can build their future and contribute to the growth of West Bengal,” Adhikari posted.The WBJEE board will conduct three rounds of counselling for engineering admissions, allowing students to register and fill in their choices afresh at every round to ensure a transparent, efficient and student-centric process. All three rounds are expected to be completed within July. “A significant number of seats at private institutes have also been allocated,” said an official. “It is expected that the students enrolling in engineering will increase this year as the admission process started earlier.”
