Centres too far, some candidates miss CUET

NOIDA: Several students in the city have alleged that they couldn't appear for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) as the exam centres allotted to them were far away, and going there would have involved taking long and expensive journeys.
Three aspirants said on Tuesday that their first preference was Noida, and the second, Delhi-NCR, but they were allotted centres as far as Meerut and Rohtak.
"My exam center for the exam on May 21 was placed in Meerut though I had not put it as any of my options in the form. I had already paid Rs 1,500 as the application fee, and a return journey to Meerut from Noida would cost me another Rs 2,000. Moreover, it was so hot that the trip would have been very hectic," said Vishant Kumar, an 18-year-old who lives in Sector 73.
This year, there are only two centres for undergraduate CUET exams in the district - in Noida's Sector 62 and IIMT in Greater Noida.
Another student Mohammad Asjad said he was allotted a centre in Rohtak, some 100-odd kilometres away from Noida.
"I couldn't take the exam as travel expenses would have been a lot. I had to give up on wanting to pursue BBA from Delhi University," he said.
CUET scores are being used as the key admission criteria by 44 central universities, including the coveted Delhi University colleges, and other state universities in the coming academic year. This is the second year that CUET, which was meant to streamline and standardise college admissions, is being held.
Teachers at CUET coaching institutes in the city also said there should have been more than two exam centres in the city. "There should have been more centers in the district, so that students could at least get their second preference in the exam centre," said Iti Jain, who teaches at a private coaching institute in the city.
When asked, IIMT director Umesh Kumar told TOI that 720 of 1,100 candidates appeared for CUET at the centre on the first day of the exam on May 21. The day after that, 650 of 1,000 candidates gave the papers.
"We have a capacity of around 1,500 students in one shift. This time, we were asked to cater to approximately 1,000 students for one exam day. If instructed, we can increase the number," said Kumar.
An activist said that some students from Jewar had difficulty reaching the exam centres in Noida due to the distance and inadequate public transport.
"Some said they had to wait at the exam centre for nearly 2 hours in scorching heat," said Sukhpal Singh Toor, found of NCR Parents' Association.
On this, the IIMT director said there was a two-hour delay due to a technical glitch.
"The exam on the first day of CUET was supposed to start at 8.30am, but the question paper was not uploaded on time by the agency. The center had no role in that. Everything went smoothly the next two days," Kumar said.
CUET for undergraduate admissions began on May 21, and will conclude on June 6. For postgraduate courses, the common entrance test will be held between June 5 and June 12 this year.