GS2 – Social Sector
Context:
The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) has drawn criticism due to administrative delays, centralisation issues, and concerns over equity in education.
About CUET:
- Introduced in 2022, conducted by NTA under NEP 2020.
- Mandatory for admissions in Central Universities.
- Covers 13 languages and 27 domain subjects.
- University-specific autonomy is retained for merit criteria and counselling.
Benefits of CUET:
- Standardisation: Ensures parity across different school boards.
- Mobility: Promotes access to diverse universities via a single exam.
- Curricular Alignment: Based on NCERT syllabus, reducing coaching dependency.
- Inclusivity: Multilingual format improves access across regions.
- Process Efficiency: Uniform academic calendar and digital testing formats.
Key Challenges:
- Unfilled Seats: Reflects mismatch in capacity and student readiness.
- Rise in Coaching: Undermines goal of equal access.
- Board Bias: CBSE-centric structure disadvantages state board students.
- Administrative Delays: Admission cycles remain uncertain.
- Digital Divide: Affects students from underserved regions.
- Centralisation: Curtails institutional flexibility in admissions.
Way Forward:
- Link applications to counselling to avoid vacant seats.
- Ensure diverse board representation in test design.
- Fix a national calendar for testing and admissions.
- Provide offline exam options and more CBT centres.
- Respect university autonomy in cut-offs and interviews.
Strengthen NTA capacity and transparency mechanisms.