By Firstdespatch Desk Jun 24, 2026
Agartala, June 24 (FD) Tripura Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman on Wednesday held an important meeting with West Bengal Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay at Bikash Bhavan in Kolkata to discuss the restoration of reserved seats for Tripura students in government engineering and textile technology institutions of West Bengal.
The meeting focused on expanding higher education opportunities for students from Tripura and addressing concerns related to admission access in technical and professional courses. During the discussion, Kishor Barman highlighted the difficulties faced by eligible students from Tripura who seek admission to reputed institutions in West Bengal.
The issue gained attention after students of the Fashion Technology Department of Tripura Women’s Polytechnic successfully qualified in the WBJELET examination but reportedly could not find colleges such as Government College of Engineering & Textile Technology, Serampore, and Berhampore in their online counselling choice-filling list. As a result, several deserving students were unable to participate fully in the admission process.
Recognizing the seriousness of the matter, the Higher Education Department of the Tripura Government had earlier approached the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board and formally sought intervention regarding the issue.
During the Kolkata meeting, Kishor Barman emphasized that reserved seats for Tripura students had existed in several engineering and technology institutions of West Bengal in the past. These provisions enabled many students from the northeastern state to pursue quality higher education and build successful careers. However, the arrangement was discontinued years ago, affecting educational opportunities for many aspiring students.
West Bengal Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay responded positively to the proposal and assured that necessary steps would be taken to consider the restoration of reserved seats for Tripura students in government engineering and technology colleges. He also assured that measures would be explored to address the concerns of affected students during the current academic session.
The initiative is being viewed as a significant step toward strengthening educational cooperation between Tripura and West Bengal. If implemented, the move is expected to provide greater access to technical education, create new opportunities for talented students, and contribute to human resource development across the northeastern region.
The Tripura government has reiterated its commitment to protecting the educational interests of students and will continue engaging with relevant authorities to ensure equal access to higher education opportunities. FD SB