Summary
The universities will still use board exams as a qualifying criterion, said UGC chief M Jagadesh Kumar
The CUET will, however, reduce the pressure on students to secure close to 100% marks in boards, he added
University Grants Commission (UGC) chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar on March 29 rejected the apprehensions that the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) will make board exams irrelevant.
"The universities will still use board exams as a qualifying criterion. Some universities can peg the requirement at 60%, some may choose to set 70% as a requirement, so there is no question of board exams being made irrelevant. However, the focus on getting 100% marks in boards will definitely be reduced,” said Kumar.
He claimed that there have been instances of a student getting 98% marks and yet not getting admission to a good college. Such instances, he said, would reduce with the introduction of CUET.
The application process for the CUET for undergraduate courses in central universities will commence from April 2. According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the CUET will provide a single-window opportunity to students seeking admission in any central university across the country. The exam will be conducted in a computer-based test (CBT) mode.
A common entrance test for admissions in undergraduate courses was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. However, the concept is not entirely new. The Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET) was launched in 2010 when seven newly established central universities subscribed to it.
In 2012, the government tried to extend this to all central universities under the education ministry, but the proposal did not take off with some established universities expressing concern over the impact it would have on the quality of students admitted.
Over the years, more newly set-up central universities adopted the common entrance, but the older ones stayed away.
In 2021, only 12 central universities, including Assam University in Silchar, Central University of Gujarat, Central University of Punjab, Central University of Tamil Nadu and Central University of Jharkhand, among others, subscribed to the CUCET.
Last updated on 29 Mar 2022
