According to the enrollment records (2009-10) of the West Bengal Council of Higher Education, over 75 per cent seats in the colleges and universities across the state are in humanities stream. Of the 3,82,616 students enrolled in the general degree colleges and universities, around 76.91 per cent students are enrolled in the humanities stream.

The usual practice of the state higher education department is to set up a new college with a number of humanities courses, as the courses in science stream requires laboratories and other infrastructure.

“It is a fact that about 75 per cent students enrolled in higher education are in humanities stream. Most of them take admissions in the three year pass course. We are taking up initiatives to start more science courses in district-based colleges,” said Subimal Sen, Vice-Chairman of West Bengal Council for Higher Education.