Today’s Big Story
Earlier this week, The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced that admissions to undergraduate courses in central universities of India will now be carried out through a Common University Entrance Test (CUET). The CUET will be a computer-based multiple-choice test which can be taken in 13 languages. The first of these will likely be held in July.
📯 What’s Going On?
There appears to be quite a bit of changing and churning in the education system of India. It’s not the 12th standard CBSE exams but the CUET that will now drive college admissions to UGC funded colleges as the test will be compulsory for those seeking admission to university courses. Here are 3 of the most FAQs:
Who will take this test?
12th standard students who aim to secure undergraduate admission to any of the 45 central universities that are funded by the UGC.How does one prepare for this test?
The UGC chairperson said that the syllabus will 'mirror the class 12 syllabus.'What is the format of this test?
The CUET will have three parts, all of which will be multiple choice questions.
First, the student's reading and comprehension skills in will be tested in a language of their choice.
In the second part, their domain knowledge will be tested. A student can choose up to six domain subjects (out of 27) to be tested on.
The third part of the entrance test will be a general test with questions on logical and analytical reasoning, current affairs etc.
🔍 What Does this Mean?
Many on the left argue that in its current format where absolute weightage will be given to the performance on this test, the CUET will lead to a complete disregard of a student’s performance in school exams and cause a dramatic rise in the need for special, additional coaching.
Many on the right argue despite all of its shortcomings, the CUET will give a common bar of measure for schools across the country and reduce the pressure of board exams and cut-offs.
"The apprehension that the CUET can be gamed by a super-nimble coaching industry is not unfounded. The National Testing Agency (NTA)’s task will be to ensure a less mechanical way of screening applicants and assessing the aptitude for college education. The unreasonable cut-off must not be replaced by another test score. Neither, after all, is a foolproof measure of ability. Nor should 12 years of schooling be completely disregarded in the admission process or reduced to the performance in a make-or-break examination. The government and the school boards must find a way to give weightage to a child’s schooling career.” - The Indian Express
"An association of private schools has written a letter to Union Education Minister, expressing apprehension that the introduction of CUET from the 2022-23 academic session may encourage "coaching culture" among students. It also said this batch of students is currently preparing for the Term 2 exams of CBSE and the prospect of appearing for CUET could be stressful for them.” - NDTV
"CUET (date not known) would be conducted for undergraduate admissions from this year onwards. Not only would this bring an end to the supremacy of various boards, the same attempts to bring merit to the order of undergraduate admissions. As a standardized test, CUET would do away with the differences in various board curriculums and force universities to have a common admission set.” - Times Now
“The trend of impossibly high cut-off marks in central universities such as Delhi University’s 100% cut-offs will now be history as the Class 12 marks will no more be a factor in central university admissions. As per experts, this is because CBSE, CISCE and the different state boards in India all have different evaluation patterns which make it unfair for students applying to central universities with a wide diversity in evaluation patterns. CUCET 2022 or CUET 2022 which will be held for the first time in July will do away with these inconsistencies and bring 45 central universities under the same ambit.” - India Today
💭 Why Should I Care?
The Devil is in the Details
So, will this new system provide a remedy? Will it actually ensure a level playing field going forward? Or will it simply be an additional burden on students who have slogged through the last few years studying for the board exams amidst a pandemic?
While on the one hand the CUET will address the sky-rocketing cut-offs at central universities, there is some truth to the concerns that solving this one problem might lead to a wave other problems. First, the admissions process shouldn’t just depend on one standardized entrance test. Second, it doesn’t mitigate fears that wealthy students carry an advantage because they can afford expensive test prep courses and tutors.
Finally, a single piece of reform must not obscure the larger, structural reasons for the crisis. In a young country, where education is tied up with the aspirations of people across classes, the demand for higher education is growing, as is evident in the 11 per cent rise in gross enrollment between 2015 and 2020 but the number of quality higher education institutes has not kept up, resulting in lakhs of applicants for a few universities and elite colleges — and leaving out vast numbers without the education they deserve.
Have questions or comments about today’s newsletter?
🙋Ask Away!
And in case you’re interested to learn more…
This full list of FAQs about the Common University Entrance Test from The Quint (7-min read)
✨ Below the Fold
Friends, hello and welcome to your weekend! I hope there’s a big inhale and exhale for your lungs right now.
It looks like the first quarter of 2022 has raced by but I decided to press the pause button on these bright and sunny (read, terribly hot) summer days. I spent all of yesterday inside Taj Mahal Tea House reading in one corner of the cafe. Until a short while ago, I felt like taking a few hours in the day to sit with a book and relax was an unearned luxury. I wouldn’t call this perspective healthy but honestly, any time I thought of picking up a book and checking out of the world for a bit, I’d think of 10 other things to do that would be a more “productive” use of time - learning a new skill, applying to more jobs, conceptualizing a new business idea, watering all the plants in my house…
But I want to say that this type of afternoon inside a quiet cafe is perhaps what the Italians had in mind when they invented Il Dolce Far Niente a.k.a the sweet joy of doing nothing.
It’s just lovely and I’m going to try and slow myself down over the next few weeks. It’s a good time to be in love with life, as messy and uncertain as it all is. I hope this finds you with a few moments to yourself today and over this last weekend of March.
💌What are you talking about, reading, watching, cooking, listening to lately? Let me know. I’ll read every letter sent and maybe even write a below the fold post about it.
“Don’t live the same year seventy-five times and call it a life.”
– Robin Sharma (a Canadian writer)