CUET-UG is needed for admissions to undergraduate courses
CUET for college admissions is going on smoothly in over 95 per cent centres, the National Testing Agency said this morning amid reports of cancellations. Any cancellation or postponement of exams for undergraduate admissions will be informed by the National Testing Agency, or NTA, by 11 am.
Examinations at several centres - or the remaining 5 per cent - were cancelled by the NTA today. Parents alleged the exams were cancelled without any prior notice to the students, leaving them in a state of confusion. They said they have been stranded in rain and there has been no communication by the NTA so far.
The first phase of CUET-UG was held between July 15 and 20, while the second phase started yesterday. On July 15, a late-night change in centres for the CUET resulted in hundreds of students missing the exam. The CUET, short for Common University Entrance Test, is a key requirement for undergraduate admissions to central universities.
On Thursday, the second phase of CUET-UG had a bad start with technical glitches and administrative issues forcing the NTA to cancel second shift exam across all 489 centres and postpone first shift at some locations in 17 states.
"...Because of technical reasons, the question paper for the second shift of the examination could only be uploaded at 5 pm and the download at 489 centres could start at 5:25 pm, while the exam was scheduled to begin from 3 pm," NTA Senior Director Sadhana Parashar said on Thursday, news agency PTI reported.
The University Grants Commission, or UGC, chief Jagadesh Kumar had in March announced that CUET scores, and not Class 12 marks, would be mandatory for admissions to 45 central universities which can fix their minimum eligibility criteria.
With 14.9 lakh registrations, CUET is the second-biggest entrance exam in the country, surpassing JEE-Main's average registration of nine lakh.
Apart from central universities, 12 state universities, 11 deemed universities and 19 private universities have applied to participate in the first edition of CUET-UG for admissions in the academic session 2022-23.
With inputs from PTI