In Kolkata, a College Admission Form Allows You to Choose 'Humanity' as Religion

If you live in India, you will often have to fill out forms: Government application forms, bank forms, college application forms, forms to get a permit for anything, and many others. Most of these forms come with a pre-requisite mandatory series of questions.

"Enter your full name."
"Enter your date of birth."
"Enter your nationality."


So far so good, right?

"Enter your religion."

Well, in this country, you don't get to choose your own religion, the same way you can't choose your nationality or family. But what if you don't follow any religion? What if you don't believe in God?

In most of the forms that we are needed to fill, the options are restricted to major religions like 'Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity,' or clubbed under the collective term - 'Others.'

A Calcutta University college, however, has decided to do away with this heterogeneous clubbing of different religions together and introduced 'Humanity' as an option for all people who feel restricted by the limited options.

Bethune College in Kolkata has taken the first and noticeable step in its undergraduate admission process that has kicked off from May 27 for the year 2019. In the form for admission, the option to enter your religion now includes an option called 'Humanity.'