With the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) announced by GC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar for admission to undergraduate classes of 45 central universities, the new system has now come into effect from the next session. At present, this system has been made mandatory for 45 central universities only, but private, deemed and state government universities will also have the option of joining it.
The CUET Act was passed in the year 2010 for admission to central universities during the tenure of UPA-2, but till now it was an optional arrangement. Last year, 14 central universities had adopted CUET, which did not include relatively well-known universities. According to the new decision of the UGC, now admission to undergraduate classes for the session 2022-23 in all central universities will be on the basis of CUET scores and not on the basis of 12th examination marks.
The cut-off system that has been going on for the last several decades at the undergraduate level in central universities will now end. The application forms for CUET will be filled in the first week of April, 2022 and this entrance test will be conducted online in July, 2022 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in many major cities. Last year, the cut-off in admission to ten undergraduate classes of seven renowned colleges of Delhi University had reached 100 per cent. This raised questions on the entire system of cut off across the country.
Class 12 examinations in the country are conducted by over 50 state secondary boards including CBSE and ICTE, whose evaluation scales are not uniform. It is true that the ugliness of the cut-off system will be prevented in the new system, but still, due to this policy change in the UG admissions of 45 central universities, the dream of crores of families of the country to get good education for their children will not be fulfilled yet.
Why is there a scuffle-like atmosphere in the country for admission in good universities at UG level? Will the new system of CUET implemented by UGC be able to solve this widespread problem? In view of the economic and social diversities and inequalities found in our country, will the new system of admission be able to give equal opportunities to all in UG admissions? Will the exam with MCQ questions conducted in an online mode provide equal convenience or difficulty to all sections of the society? Will the coaching industry not become more powerful with this new system like NEET and JEE? It is to be known that even before the announcement of CUET, the sale of coaching packages of private companies has started.
In our country, if universities are selected on the basis of quality, brand and employability, then there will be hardly 200 such universities out of 1000+ universities in the country where every family would like to educate their child. These include 45 central universities, 50 state government universities and the rest private universities. Even on the quality parameters of NAAC, only 20 to 25 percent of the universities will meet. There is a fight for admission in Central Universities like Delhi University, JNU, Jamia, BHU, AMU because the standard of education there is best, fees are less and by doing UG studies in these places, it is easy for the youth to make a career. .
Central universities, being funded by the central government, keep fees very low, but in private reputed institutes, the course fees range from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. Obviously, it is difficult for every middle class and poor families to afford it. The total number of students in 45 central universities was 7.2 lakh in 2019-20, which was only 2.4 percent of the total students of the country. Out of these 7.2 lakh students, only 5.40 lakh students were registered at UG level. Obviously, CUET, though a welcome step, will not be an effective solution to the lack of quality higher education. It is to be known that NTA will conduct the online examination of CEUT in July, 2022. The good thing is that the candidates will have the option to take the online test in any of the 13 languages. According to UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, CEUT will be a three-hour online test in which candidates will have to tick off one correct answer out of the alternative answers given with each question. CUET is a commendable step in bringing the country’s troubled higher education system back on track. This will eliminate the dependence on unbalanced examination results of board examinations in UG admissions.
It was said in the National Education Policy that such an examination would be effective only when it could help the students to assimilate the knowledge and use it in life. The practice of taking tuitions or studying in coaching institutes must also end such exams. Can we expect the National Testing Agency to keep these things in mind? Can we completely deny 12 years of school experience in entrance exams? Talent of any candidate cannot be known only by MCQs, Reasoning Ability Test or Online Examination.
There is a need for comprehensive reforms in higher education, which was pointed out by the Dr. Kasturirangan Committee. CUET will be an effective step in this direction only if we see it as the first line of major, far-reaching and structural reforms. Higher education in India needs massive expansion and huge investment, any delay in which will be fatal.
(These are the author’s own views)