The University Grants Commission is now aiming at combining NEET and JEE (Main) with the CUET to create a single entrance exam for all purposes. The UGC will encourage top universities such as IITs to offer online degrees with no age or time limit.
- UGC is working on merging NEET and JEE (Main) with the CUET to provide one entrance exam for all purposes.
- Almost all the universities in the country are now accepting CUET.
- It has been a great help for students. They can now apply to several universities with a single score from a single exam.
- Students can apply to various universities with just one score.
- Some Indian students were confused when they attempted to enroll in their preferred universities. They could not secure the admissions they wanted after the exam normalized the marks.
- Some students may not have understood the instructions for each CUET combination.
- It would be helpful if students studied and chose the correct combinations of subjects before the exams.
- In the last few years, more than 6 lakh people have applied for admission to Indian universities.
- The Universities Grants Commission will help top universities to be able to offer degrees without age or restriction.
- UGC plans to merge CUET, JEE and NEET.
M Jagadesh Kumar, UGC Chairman, says many universities have accepted the CUET exam, and students have benefitted from it.
Changes affect India’s education system, from major systemic reforms to smaller subtle and subtle changes. The new education policy will majorly change the country’s education system. UGC is now considering combining exams for NEET and JEE Main so that candidates can take the same exam for multiple universities. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar talks to Vibhana Sharma, a renowned educationist, about important issues affecting students. Excerpts:
Some test centers said at the last minute that they could not organize the test, while others said the computers kept getting corrupt even though they were supposed to be checked. This won’t happen again, they said.
Last year, the CUET saw mixed results, and some students were confused about the possible combinations of CUET exam questions. The first edition of CUET did not go well for some students. Many universities have adopted CUET. Some students are still confused about what will happen.
There were some issues with CUET as we had difficulty preparing the question paper and putting it on the computer. There are three parts to conducting the CUET exam — preparing the question paper, setting the question paper for online submission, finding suitable exam centers using the internet and computers, and preparing glitch-free software that helps collect the answers to the questions and gives the score.
We faced problems only in the later part of the exam when some lapses in the system allowed candidates to write CUET questions for multiple universities. Some exam centers declared at the last minute that they couldn’t do the exam, while others said the computers could not check the details properly. Lesson learned this wouldn’t happen next year. We will continue to seek more centers abroad for the CUET in the future, but we will not allow any centers to go unregulated.
About 90 universities have now started accepting the exam. Students are now able to apply to many universities from one test. Students benefit from the CUET. Universities are now accepting the exam for admission to their respective colleges. Students can now apply to multiple universities with good scores.
Some candidates say there was some confusion, and they could not get admission to the colleges/universities they wanted to attend. Some universities have said they have decided to accept a student with a normal average score in CUET.
Many top universities like Delhi University (DU) have decided to allow applicants to apply for various courses through the CUET exam. The new UGC system should enable applicants to select any course they want to study. Some students may not have understood the questions asked in the CUET question paper, but others may not have understood the correct sequence of questions to ask in the CUET question paper. One solution to this problem is to increase awareness about the different combinations that students may be able to do in a single exam. It’s very useful for students to know the combinations and plan their papers well. UGC members will also recommend that universities develop their admission policies well in advance.
Some students did not do well in the CUET and may not get into the college of choice even though they did very well in class XII.
It is incorrect to say that social science students will benefit from normalizing their marks and that they have an advantage over those who choose science. Suppose that CUET was not notified and that admissions were made according to the results of Class XII exams. Students who do well in their chosen subjects will gain more than those who achieve good marks overall in physics, mathematics and chemistry. It is important to note that whether CUET was taken or not, scores for all students would have been the same.
Marks are normalized only for one subject in school and not various subjects. See if this issue can be resolved by the end of the academic year. I do not promise anything because we must think carefully about it and talk with experts.
Some commentators say that CUET may help the coaching industry.
We are very concerned about that, which is why CUET is being designed. Students can apply to universities across the country using normalized scores. The number of students who applied to the DU for admissions is up by 6 lakh this academic year, which is a good sign that the CUET has given them more opportunities. Earlier, universities did not consider such requests because of the CUET, and students were only given good marks for passing Class XII exams.
When students cannot get enough candidates to attend college due to high demand, they go for coaching to score well in the exams. It will help parents and teachers understand that education should enable students to become lifelong learners. Is achieving 99 percent in the exams our objective in life? I do not believe that going to an IIT or a top university is the end.
I am sure that there will be many other changes that are in the pipeline.
Soon, UGC is expected to release a National Credit Framework that will cover school education, skill education and universities. Every kid will soon begin to earn credits. Students can choose their courses of study and plan their careers by taking the courses they wish to take. Students can apply for admission to other universities by doing what is required. It was not available before.
It is very important to ensure that the universities you want to enter are accessible to all students and that the fees are reasonable. It will enable top universities like IITs to offer degrees that are available instantly and for an affordable price.
UGC is currently trying to combine CUET, JEE and NEET into one exam. When does it come into effect?
Currently, we are thinking about one country and one entrance exam. Many logistic issues will be taken care of. Students can take a combination of subjects from the same entrance exam to get into various universities.
UGC is trying to bring stakeholders into deciding on the changes. We are holding university meetings to decide on the curriculum and exam format. It will take several years for the CUET to be fully integrated, but it will not happen in the next two years. Students will take time to adjust to such changes. The CUET system is in the stage of being conceptualized, so no idea is even possible at this stage.
What will you say on the charge that the government is desperately working to make higher education more affordable and accessible for all?
Only the National Education Policy for 2020 is going to guide the UGC. Clearly, the country’s education should respect its people and culture. We can modernize our education system and make it more harmonized with western education, but we cannot take away the values that underpin it. Students should know how our culture has lasted so many years. Many think that India became successful only after the British left the country. We should work on having a holistic approach to our education. Professors at IIM-Bengaluru use the Bhagavad Gita to teach students how to be leaders. Knowledge, whichever is relevant to our time and wherever it originated, should be taught to students.
