University Grants Commission (UGC) chief told that basic eligibility criteria is an important factor for admission in all universities (file photo)
Fewer students scored above 90 per cent in the CBSE Class 12 exams this year, sparking a debate whether CUET has diverted attention from the board exams.
According to UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to undergraduate programs is unlikely to make board exams irrelevant.
The CBSE Class 12 pass percentage and the number of students scoring above 90 per cent and 95 per cent have declined this year, triggering a debate whether the introduction of CUET has taken away attention from board exams and made them redundant. Will make long run
“The basic eligibility criteria for admission to universities remains unchanged, which is that the candidate must have passed class 12 examination from any recognized board or equivalent. In fact, the marks in grade 12 for eligibility will differ across programs and universities,” Kumar told PTI.
“Moreover, board exams are an ‘achievement test’ whereas CUET-UG is a ‘selection test’. Hence, the redundancy of board exams at class 12 level is unlikely,” he said.
The second edition of CUET-UG is scheduled to begin from May 21.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) chief pointed out that the basic eligibility criteria is an important factor for admission to all universities at the national level and other examinations like JEE (Engineering) and NEET (Medical).
“The principles of university entrance examination require a common test. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts a high-quality Common Aptitude Test as well as specialized common subject tests in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts and vocational subjects working to give.
“These exams will test conceptual understanding and ability to apply knowledge and aim to eliminate the need to take coaching for these exams,” he said.
“Students are able to choose the subjects to appear in and each university will be able to look at individual subject portfolios of each student and admit students to their programs based on individual interests and talents,” he added.
When asked how CUET will provide an edge to students on board exam scores for UG admission, Kumar said, “In the past, students were put under pressure to score more than 95 per cent in class 12 board exams. used to go so that they could gain entry. University of their choice.”
“With the introduction of CUET, the stress on them to score very high marks in the only board exam has reduced. The marks awarded by different boards vary widely due to the type of questions and scoring pattern. These things will now be standardized under CUET.
The UGC had announced in March last year that undergraduate admissions in all central universities would be conducted through a common entrance test and not on the basis of class 12 marks.
The first edition of CUET-UG was conducted in July last year and had some glitches, which forced the NTA to cancel the exam at several centres.
While many students were informed about the cancellation a night before the exams, many of them were turned away from the centres.
The UGC chairman had then said that the exams had been canceled following reports of “sabotage” at some centres.
Around 14 lakh applications have been received for CUET-UG this year, which is 41 per cent more than last year’s first edition.
CUET-UG is the second largest entrance exam in the country in terms of applicants. In the first edition of CUET-UG, 12.50 lakh students registered themselves and out of them 9.9 lakh submitted their applications.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI,