Single test for UG seats in central univs from ’21

Single test for UG seats in central univs from ’21

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:26.12.2020

In a move to end the tyranny of cut-off marks based on Class XII board exams in college admissions, the government has set up a seven-member committee to recommend modalities for conducting a “high quality aptitude test” for admission to undergraduate programmes in central universities. The plan will take effect from the 2021-22 academic session, said Amit Khare, secretary, ministry of higher education.

The computer-based common test, to be conducted by the National Testing Agency, will have one general test and multiple subjectspecific tests.

‘All aspirants should appear for common & subject-specific tests’

UGC Chairperson Prof D PSingh said the committee is expected to submit its recommendations within a month. Officials of the ministry of education (MoE) said it would give an opportunity to universities to enrol aspirants with “aptitude” for a course and also eliminate the need to appear in multiple admission and entrance exams. The minimum eligibility to be set for the test would also ensure that more candidates are eligible for admission.

For example, at present any unreserved candidate with even 90% in the ‘best of four’ Class XII Board papers cannot secure a seat in the commerce stream in most of Delhi University (DU) colleges.

But even a candidate with 60% will be able to sit for the common entrance exam and possibly qualify for admissions. Moreover, difference in evaluation scheme of various Boards has been a concern for UG admissions. Typically higher scoring science stream students edge out aspirants in social science subjects on the basis of Class XII board marks.

According to MoE sources, all aspirants will have to appear for the common aptitude test (comprising verbal and quantitative ability and logical reasoning), followed by subjectspecific tests. The National Education Policy, 2020 envisaged that NTA “will work to offer a high-quality common aptitude test, as well as specialised common subject exams in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts, and vocational subjects, at least twice every year.

“These exams shall test conceptual understanding ... Students will be able to choose the subjects for taking the test, and each university will be able to see each student’s individual subject portfolio and admit students into their programmes based on individual interests and talents”.

While the policy speaks of offering the exam a maximum of two times in a year, Khare said it would be conducted only once for the 2021-22 session.

The seven-member committee will be chaired by Professor R P Tiwari, vice chancellor of Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. The other members include VCs of DU, Central University of South Bihar, Central University of Mizoram and Banaras Hindu University, along with director general of NTA and joint secretary (central universities) of MoE.

As per UGC, as of June 2020, there are 54 central universities in the country.