Central Universities to conduct common entrance test for admissions

For postgraduate students as well, varsities will conduct the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET), instead of each varsity conducting its own entrance tests.

From next year onwards, central universities will admit undergraduate students through a common entrance test. The practice to admit students on the basis of board marks will be abandoned. For postgraduate students as well, varsities will conduct the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET), instead of each varsity conducting its own entrance tests. These decisions were taken by the vice-chancellors of the 41 central universities at a meeting on November 22.

Currently, undergraduate students are admitted by most of the central entirely on the basis of Class 12 board exam marks. There have, however, been allegations that some boards award marks too liberally, putting students from other boards at a disadvantage.

Keeping the point in mind, earlier this year, CUCET for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions was recommenced by a committee headed by RP Tiwari, VC of Punjab Central University.

It had, however, suggested that the central universities give 50 per cent weightage to board marks, normalising them to bring parity among boards, and 50 per cent to the CUCET results during undergraduate admissions.

However, the proposal got rejected by VCs and they opted for admission solely on the basis of the CUCET, to be conducted by the National Testing Agency. Considering that every board follows its own pattern of examinations and evaluation in Class 12. In the midst of this disparity, It would be impossible to come to a common ground given the varying pattern followed by boards.

Departments of central universities or affiliated institutions that teach engineering, pharmacy, architecture or law courses will continue to admit students on the basis of their existing common entrance tests.

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