CUET UG 2026: The CUET UG examination was disrupted on Saturday after technical glitches affected exam systems at multiple centres, leaving thousands of students stranded and forcing many to sit on pavements under intense heat with minimal support from authorities.
Candidates reported a lack of basic facilities, including drinking water, refreshments, seating arrangements, and adequate washroom access at several examination centres.
The morning session of CUET UG 2026, originally scheduled to conclude around 10:30 am at many centres, was severely affected after a major technical glitch delayed the start of examinations. Students waited between two and four hours outside centres before being allowed to enter. Once the systems were restored, candidates were given the full allotted examination time and permitted to leave only after completing their papers.
Outside the Sarita Vihar TCS iON centre in Delhi, chaotic scenes unfolded as roads became congested and long queues of anxious students and parents stretched along pavements. Many candidates sat on cloth sheets under the scorching sun, some using umbrellas for shade, while others revised notes or drank water as they awaited updates.
Jia Sharma, a candidate at the Sarita Vihar centre, told NDTV: "I travelled nearly two hours on an empty stomach to reach here, only to wait another two hours because the server went down. This is so unfair, first NEET, then CBSE, and now CUET. We were left sitting in the heat with no proper seating, no refreshments and no updates. How can anyone perform well after this?"
Visibly emotional, she added: "The mental pressure is immense. Students prepare for months for this exam. After waiting hours in the heat, your focus is shattered. You start worrying whether the exam will even happen, if your centre will be cancelled, or if all your hard work will go to waste."
Also Read | CUET UG 2026: NTA To Hold Re-Exam For 3,765 Candidates Affected By Technical Glitch
Another candidate, Shahin, said: "When we finally got into the exam hall and raised this delay with the invigilator, she asked us to 'enjoy the present situation' - trying to pacify us, but it felt like a mockery of our distress."
She added, "Many of us were already nervous and hadn't eaten properly, only drinking water or roadside nimbu pani. We stood outside for hours with no clean washrooms. For girls, this becomes a serious problem during such long delays."
Another candidate, Sachi, complained about conditions inside the centre: "The ACs weren't working properly, there was dust on the systems and desks, and the washrooms were unhygienic and stinking. Sitting there for three hours was extremely difficult."
Parents also expressed anger over what they described as poor preparedness.
"Why such mismanagement year after year by NTA? This is what happens when the country prioritises man ki baat over kaam ki baat," one father said.
He added, "Students are already under huge pressure. Instead of supporting them, the system only added to their stress. If students are late, the exam centre gates are closed with no leeway. Why should we accept such delays? When we call the NTA helpline, they ask us to mail instead. It makes no sense."
A mother accompanying her daughter said, "The authorities knew students would be standing in extreme heat. At the very least, they should have arranged drinking water and basic facilities. Many felt nauseous."
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced a one-time rescheduled examination for 3,765 CUET UG 2026 candidates who left their centres before the delayed morning shift could begin following a major technical glitch.
In an update issued late Friday evening, the NTA said a technical issue had delayed the start of Shift 1 at some centres and that its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS iON), had been directed to conduct an immediate root-cause analysis. According to the agency, nearly 95 per cent of candidates were able to complete the examination after it resumed, while 3,765 candidates who had completed biometric registration and were present at their centres chose to leave before the test restarted. These candidates will be given another opportunity to take the examination, with fresh dates and details to be announced separately.
The announcement came after CUET UG 2026 aspirants faced significant disruption due to technical failures that delayed examinations at centres across the country, triggering widespread complaints over long waiting periods, inadequate facilities, and severe mental stress among students and parents.
The National Testing Agency, which conducts the Common University Entrance Test (Undergraduate), attributed the disruption to a technical issue involving its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). At several centres, the examination was delayed by nearly two hours, leaving candidates stranded outside in extreme heat.
Students were seen sitting on pavements and floors while revising notes under the scorching sun with minimal support from authorities. Many highlighted the lack of drinking water, refreshments, seating arrangements, and washroom facilities - concerns particularly severe for female candidates who had travelled long distances.
Official Response
Acknowledging the disruption, the NTA said it regretted the distress caused and reiterated that affected students who left after completing biometric verification would be accommodated through a special re-examination.
TCS Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director K. Krithivasan also issued a statement: "A brief technical issue caused a delay of around two hours in the CUET UG examination in the morning shift. The issue was promptly identified and resolved, and the examination has since resumed without any impact on the sanctity of the exam. We regret the inconvenience."
He added that TCS teams were actively monitoring systems and remained committed to working with the NTA to ensure the smooth conduct of computer-based examinations.
Despite these assurances, many students argued that the psychological impact of the disruption could not be offset simply by extending examination time.
"The issue is not only about compensatory time," one candidate said. "The stress, anxiety and loss of concentration cannot be compensated by a few extra minutes."
Political Fallout
The incident triggered sharp political reactions, with Opposition leaders linking it to a series of controversies surrounding major national examinations.
NEET। CBSE। SSC। और आज CUET।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 30, 2026
चार परीक्षाएँ। एक करोड़ बच्चे। एक भी ईमानदारी से नहीं हो पाई।
दावे "विश्वगुरु" के, मगर देश में एक परीक्षा नहीं करवा सकते - मोदी जी ने पूरी शिक्षा व्यवस्था तबाह कर दी है।
जिस पीढ़ी का भविष्य आप बर्बाद कर रहे हैं - वही पीढ़ी आपका हिसाब करेगी।
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X, writing: "NEET. CBSE. SSC. And today CUET. Four exams. One crore children. Not a single one conducted with honesty."
He alleged that the government had failed to safeguard the integrity of the education system and warned that young people would hold it accountable.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal also attacked the government's handling of examination-related issues, questioning whether measures such as using Air Force aircraft to transport question papers could address systemic failures.
NEET में पेपर लीक रोकने के लिए वायु सेना के जहाज इस्तेमाल किए जाएँगे।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 30, 2026
क्या इससे पेपर लीक रुकेगा? कैसे अनपढ़ों जैसी बात कर रही है हमारी सरकार?
इनकी नीयत ही नहीं है पेपर लीक रोकने की। देश की शिक्षा व्यवस्था पूरी तरह माफ़िया के चंगुल में आ चुकी है।
इसे ठीक करना है तो सबको… pic.twitter.com/n1avtTayMS
AAP leader Atishi described the delay as evidence of "remarkable incompetence," noting that lakhs of students were affected.
First NEET, then CBSE, now CUET…
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) May 30, 2026
Today CUET has been delayed due to a ‘technical issue'. Lakhs of students were to take the exam in all parts of India today and after waiting for hours, such notices have been put up outside all centres.
Remarkable incompetence @dpradhanbjp! pic.twitter.com/zVTtdmR6zb
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj raised concerns over potential examination security risks due to staggered question paper distribution.
As examinations eventually resumed across affected centres, many candidates chose to continue despite the ordeal. However, frustration persisted over the handling of the disruption, with students and parents arguing that the episode once again exposed vulnerabilities in the conduct of large-scale computer-based examinations in India.
