No Retest for Students Who Missed CUET on First Day: University Panel Chief
A lot of chaos ensued as many students claimed they had not received their admit cards.
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No retest will be held for those who missed Common University Entrance Test (CUET) on Friday, 15 July, for undergraduate admissions to central universities, said Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, chairman of the University Grants Commission.
Students from several cities across the country had reported that they missed the test due to sudden changes in centres.
The first-ever CUET is being conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in two phases. This large-scale implementation was in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), as per which, admissions to higher education institutes should be via a common entrance test so that there is a ‘uniform standard of benchmarking for candidates.’
A lot of chaos ensued as students were made to run from one centre to another, many had not received their admit cards and many rushed to internet cafes to check if they can procure entry cards at the last minute. Many students reported that due to last-minute changes they had to change their travel plans, and many of them couldn’t reach the centre on time.
The exam centre, the Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT) in Dwarka, was shifted to Delhi University’s north campus. According to the NTA, the decision was conveyed to students through text messages, emails and automated phone calls. A student, Mansi Diwan, claimed that were not intimated about the change.
"We reached our centre in Dwarka Sector 3 at 6:40 am. The guard there told our that our centre is Maurice Nagar, Delhi University. Then we reached the new centre at 8:10 am and joined the entry queue. Upon reaching the gate, the guard told us that we need to get a new printout of the admit card because of the changed address. After getting the print out, they told us that we are late and won't be allowed to enter. But later she (Mansi) was allowed to sit for the exam," said a family member of Mansi.
Kumar claimed that if students reached on time at a centre other than the one assigned, "they were allowed.”
However, students claimed this didn’t happen. Several blamed the NTA, that was tasked with conducting the CUET, for “mismanagement.”
The UGC chief said the students had been advised to reach two hours in advance and a "grace period" of 30 minutes after the start of the exam was also permitted. Contrary to what a few centres had claimed, he said, "There is no way we can hold a retest for them."
However, the 197 candidates at West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri and Punjab's Pathankot – where the test was cancelled due to technical issues – are likely to get another chance.
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