Of the 4,488 students who appeared for the re-examination from BA General, Part II (1+1+1) old system, 2,664 students qualified for next year. Similarly, in the BCom General, Part II (1+1+1) old system, of the 2,321 students, 1,502 students qualified for next year.

The examination was conducted from January 29 and February 5, 2008 and more than 14,000 students appeared in the examination. The students who benefited maximum from the initiative were the students from the general stream and students in the Honours courses who were transferred in the general stream.

According to Shyamal Sarkar — the secretary of the undergraduate council — of the 1,15,000 who are enrolled in the undergraduate courses, 75,000 to 80,000 are in the general stream.

Many teachers, however, feel that by allowing thousands of general students to have a choice of re-examination is only proving to be an easy re-course for the students.

Lakshman Soni, a history (hons) student of Seth Anandram Jaipuria College failed when the results came out last year. He had secured 91 in the four papers. Later, he appeared for the supplementary examination in three papers and qualified for the next year. “All four students in our class who had failed earlier have passed in the supplementary examination,” said Soni.

Members of the UG council feel that even theoretically it is not correct to have an re-examination for the failed students.

Some also suggests that the it is a transitory phase where systems like (2+1) system and (1+1+1) old and new system are followed in Calcutta University and so the students have been allowed to pass, so that the university can do away with so many systems.

Another reason why such re-examination was conducted was because of the students protest after the results were published in November last year. The university under the pressure of protesting students had agreed to conduct a re examination so that the students do not loose a year.