For the college-going youth of West Bengal, the past few years have been a journey not only through academic curricula but also through ambiguity, emotional strain, and administrative limbo. As 2025 moves deeper into its academic calendar, there remains an unnerving silence around the definitive reopening timeline for colleges in the state. Students, teachers, and parents alike are left grappling with a singular question: When will normalcy return to West Bengal’s higher education system?
Despite some murmurs from the state government and university authorities, clarity remains elusive. The lack of a coordinated roadmap has exposed the fault lines in educational policy planning — particularly in balancing public health concerns with academic continuity and student well-being. In this editorial, we explore the complex factors contributing to the delay, analyze the growing fatigue with online learning, and urge a more transparent and student-centric approach.
A Crisis of Communication and Coordination
While many states across India have resumed in-person college education in phases, West Bengal’s approach remains far more cautious — some would say stagnant. Following intermittent closures due to COVID-19 and then political considerations such as state elections and administrative reshuffles, educational institutions were allowed to reopen briefly. Yet, without consistent policy or structural support, colleges have struggled to maintain momentum.
A significant problem lies in the absence of a concrete timeline. Announcements made through press conferences or news snippets often lack depth, and circulars from higher education departments or universities are inconsistent. This uncertainty breeds anxiety, especially among final-year students preparing for competitive exams, internships, or placements. For them, every month of delay translates into lost opportunities.
The state government must recognize that ambiguity is more damaging than caution. A tentative academic calendar, even one subject to revision, would at least offer students a framework around which to plan their futures.
Online Education: A Solution Turned Strain
When the pandemic began, the shift to online education was lauded as a creative stopgap. But five years on, what began as a necessary adaptation has morphed into a burdensome default. The enthusiasm of initial Zoom lectures has given way to deep online education fatigue.
Several studies and student surveys conducted across India, including in Bengal, paint a bleak picture. A significant proportion of students report poor concentration, screen exhaustion, lack of practical exposure, and feelings of disconnection from campus life. Many are dealing with mental health issues exacerbated by isolation and digital burnout.
The problem is more acute in rural and semi-urban pockets of West Bengal, where internet connectivity is patchy and students rely on shared devices, often juggling academic demands with household responsibilities. It is crucial to remember that online education was never designed to be a long-term substitute, especially in disciplines requiring labs, fieldwork, or collaborative learning environments.
Furthermore, the digital divide has only deepened social inequalities. While some students attend lectures on laptops with high-speed Wi-Fi, others listen in on patchy audio via mobile phones under flickering light bulbs. Is this the future of higher education the state envisions?
The Emotional Landscape: What Students Are Really Saying
Much of the discourse around reopening has been framed in bureaucratic or logistical terms, with scant attention paid to the emotional toll on students. Yet, across social media, student forums, and petition platforms, a clear voice emerges: We are tired, and we want to return.
Students are not demanding reckless reopening. What they seek is recognition — of their frustration, lost milestones, and uncertain futures. Freshers who entered college in 2021 or 2022 have barely stepped into classrooms. For them, the college experience exists only in digital abstraction. Cultural fests, friendships, campus discussions, and teacher mentorship — intangible yet vital aspects of education — have been lost.
There’s also concern about the academic credibility of online exams. With minimal supervision and rampant malpractice, students themselves admit that grades often do not reflect learning. This threatens the long-term quality of graduates entering the job market.
State Guidelines and Their Gaps
To the credit of the West Bengal government, public health has remained a priority, and higher education officials have been cautious not to risk premature reopening. But a balance must now be struck. The lack of uniform reopening norms across universities has led to confusion. While some institutions have returned partially with hybrid models, others remain fully online, with no word on future plans.
Moreover, there appears to be a disconnect between the higher education department and individual colleges. Decisions are often passed down without sufficient consultation with teachers, administrators, or students. This top-down approach erodes trust and leads to inconsistent implementation.
What is required is a state-wide policy directive that mandates clear deadlines, enforces hybrid models where feasible, and ensures adherence to safety protocols. The government must also consult public health experts, educationists, and student unions to shape this roadmap collectively.
The Way Forward: Empathy, Clarity, and Inclusion
The call for reopening must be tempered with caution, but caution need not be synonymous with paralysis. A phased, data-driven reopening strategy is not only feasible but imperative. This includes:
- Transparent Timelines: Publish a semester-wise calendar for reopening with provisional dates, allowing for adjustments in case of emergencies.
- Hybrid Learning Models: Continue online support but prioritize offline classes for core and practical subjects.
- Infrastructure Aid: Provide funding to colleges to improve sanitation, social distancing mechanisms, and digital infrastructure where needed.
- Mental Health Support: Establish helplines, counseling centers, and wellness workshops to support students returning from long isolation.
- Addressing Inequities: Offer scholarships or device support to economically weaker students to ensure no one is left behind in the digital transition.
Conclusion: A Moment of Moral Responsibility
Education policy is not merely an administrative function — it is a moral commitment to a generation’s future. The youth of West Bengal have shown remarkable patience, resilience, and adaptability in the face of unprecedented disruption. It is now time for the state to reciprocate that trust with decisive action.
Delaying clarity only deepens despair. The state must rise to the occasion with empathy and vision, ensuring that education in West Bengal emerges not just from the pandemic, but also from the policy fog that has clouded its path for too long.
Let us not make the reopening of colleges an afterthought. Let it be a carefully calibrated, publicly accountable, and humanely implemented priority.
