The delay in the results of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) is likely to impact Delhi University (DU)’s academic calendar, several teachers and an official told The Hindu. Moreover, because of the lack of clarity about the results, several DU aspirants said they were applying to private colleges.
The results of CUET, which is the admission test for universities across the country conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), were expected to be released on June 30.
However, the NTA is yet to share any information about the likely date of release of the results.
DU launched its online admissions portal around the end of May. While postgraduate admissions at the university are under way, undergraduate admissions, which are being done through CUET for the third consecutive year, will start only after the declaration of results.
“We are ready with the admission procedure. If there are delays, it might have an impact on our admissions calendar, but we are advising students to wait patiently,” said a DU official.
Worried students
Sneha Pandey, a resident of Rohini, has been visiting the NTA portal every day for the past week to check for information on the CUET results. She is worried that the delay could derail her dream of studying English (Hons.) at St. Stephen’s College.
“Putting the students under so much stress is unfair. My daughter, who is very bright and has her heart set on going to DU, has no clue about her future,” said her father Satya Prakash Pandey.
Mr. Pandey, who is also the Delhi chief of the All India Parents’ Association, said, “Because of NTA’s inefficiency, many students have started applying to private colleges. This will push well-off students into private colleges and lead to segmentation of students on the basis of their family’s income.”
Saksham Tiwari, who lives in Lucknow, has been hoping to get admitted to a DU college for a BSc (Economics) or BCom programme. “But with the NTA delaying other examinations, we are scared of similar chaos with the CUET,” he said. Like his friends, he has also secured admission in a private university. “However, DU still remains the top priority.”
‘Will lead to burnout’
“Every delay of 10-15 days eats into the efficiency of the admission process. It pushes back teaching and vacation schedule, leading to a burnout in the teaching-learning process,” said Maya John, Assistant Professor of History at DU’s Jesus and Mary College.
Abha Dev Habib, Assistant Professor of Physics at Miranda House, said, “Central universities no longer have their own admissions calendar. It is entirely dependent on the NTA. Students, many of whom are from other States, need vacations and time to engage in internships and conferences. All this gets impacted when the academic calendar is delayed.”
Pankaj Garg, who teaches Mathematics at Rajdhani College, said, “The answer key is not out yet. It generally takes around 15 days after the answer key is released for results to be announced. So, the new session might start only by September-October.”
