Looking at the earlier trends, the students who take admissions in general degree colleges but want to study engineering, usually opt for engineering colleges once the JEE results are out.

Currently, the intake of engineering students in various colleges of the state stands at 18,000 and as the number of seats is expected to rise this year with the establishment of new engineering colleges, it may present a difficult situation for general degree colleges to fill their seats.

Earlier, when the JEE and HS results were declared simultaneously, general degree colleges would make up for the deficit by coming up with new lists.

“The problem is more acute this year and we run the risk of having empty classes as the results have been declared so early,” said Sanghamitra Mukherjee, principal of Lady Brabourne College. The colleges will not be able to come with subsequent lists after conducting classes for a couple of months, she added.

As the colleges were not expecting the HS results so early, they did not print their admission test papers. The early declaration of the results is being viewed as a hasty decision by various teachers’ organisations. “The declaration of results before JEE will confuse students,” said Shivaprasad Mukherjee, general secretary of All Bengal Teachers Association.

Dipak Das, general secretary of West Bengal Government College Teachers Association, said: “Besides, the panchayat elections are not over yet and in many schools it will take time to wrap up the process.”