With cancellation of Class 12 board exams by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and other state and central boards, the next step for students is university admission. Some of the top universities in the country – University of Delhi (DU) Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University – are likely to begin their undergraduate admission process in the upcoming months. Get Regular Updates about Board Exams via SMS/E-mail. Click here to Subscribe
The cancellation of the board exams will not have much of an impact on JNU, and Jamia Millia Islamia, since they conduct entrance tests, while the Delhi University will wait for the CBSE Class 12 result to begin merit-based admissions.
DU-affiliated colleges admit students to most of the UG programmes on the basis of merit, while admission to some of the programmes is given on the basis of entrance exam. Till last year, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had conducted the Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET). According to reports, the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET) may be used by 45 central universities, including Delhi University, for admission.
"There are strong chances that we might start registration by July 15 if all the boards cancel their exams," DU acting Vice-Chancellor Professor PC Joshi had told PTI.
"The admissions will be merit-based. The various boards are going to give us some marks. Then there is the CUCET exam for which we had already sent a proposal. The ministry has to take a call on whether it has to implement it or not and it will depend on the assessment of the COVID situation," Prof Joshi, who is also a member of the CUCET committee, told PTI.
Welcoming centre's decision to cancel Class 12 board exams, JNU Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar had earlier said the decision is "pragmatic and rational" considering the fact that the Covid pandemic is a once-in-a-century occurrence.
"In most Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) such as JNU, the admission to undergraduate programmes is through an entrance examination. We will conduct the entrance examination whenever it is safe for the students to write it," Prof Kumar told PTI.
If the entrance exam is delayed due to the pandemic situation and if the admissions are done at a later date than usual, the university will adjust its academic calendar to make up for the lost time, Mr Kumar added.
JMI media coordinator and public relations officer Ahmad Azeem told PTI that said admissions are done on the basis of the entrance test results.
"Under the CBSE evaluation criteria, marks will be awarded. If a student meets the eligibility criteria following the CBSE evaluation, they will be able to take the entrance exam," Mr Azeem said.
IP University Vice-Chancellor Mahesh Verma had said the cancellation of the board exams will not impact the admission process because admissions are done through the online Common Entrance Test (CET). The university has already started their admission process, with the introduction of five new courses.
"We just need the students to have passed their exams and that will make them eligible for the entrance exams…." Mr Verma told PTI.
After CBSE board exam cancellation, Ambedkar University, which conducts admissions on the basis of merit, said it is a "timely and welcome decision by the government".
"It will help the university to complete the admission process in time and begin the next academic session timely. The CBSE will provide the results of Class 12. The process of admission in the undergraduate programmes will be merit-based, as has been done till the last academic session," it added.
