The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The University Grants Commission (UGC) is examining the possibility of introducing a common counseling mechanism for undergraduate admissions, utilizing the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores. This approach is inspired by the counseling processes in place for medical and engineering courses.
To explore this concept, the UGC has established a committee comprising officials from various universities. Five prominent universities have agreed to participate in a pilot project to evaluate the feasibility of this idea. However, the timeline for implementing this new system, should it be deemed viable, remains uncertain.
Sources involved in the project shared, “A specialized panel is tasked with assessing the concept, conducting an internal pilot to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. This unified system aims to offer a single admission portal, simplifying the process for students who currently must apply to each university individually.”
The success and implementation of this counseling system are contingent upon the findings of the committee and subsequent consultations with stakeholders. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar has chosen not to comment on this matter at this stage.
Previously, the UGC had considered integrating the engineering entrance exam JEE and the medical entrance exam NEET with the CUET-UG, introduced in 2022, but no further actions have been taken regarding this integration.
The CUET has rapidly become the second largest entrance examination in India for undergraduate admissions, with over 14.9 lakh candidates registering. This surpasses the average registrations for the JEE-Main and is second only to NEET-UG, which sees an average of 18 lakh registrations.
Scheduled from May 15 to 31 this year, the CUET-UG aims to streamline the admissions process across various universities in India. In a significant update for 2024, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced a hybrid examination format for the CUET-UG, incorporating both computer-based testing and pen-and-paper methods for different subjects. This adjustment is based on the registration volume for each subject, with high-demand subjects using the pen-and-paper format and others remaining computer-based. Last cycle’s CUET-UG attracted approximately 14.9 lakh registrations, underscoring its pivotal role in higher education admissions.