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AMU to adopt CUET, internal reservations to remain intact
The university had initially decided to maintain status quo on its admission policy as the case on its minority status was in the courts.
The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Saturday announced that it will adopt the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admissions to undergraduate courses, while maintaining that the internal quotas offered by the university will remain.
The decision was taken during the university’s academic council meeting on Saturday. “The council approved the proposal of joining the common entrance test for all undergraduate courses for the upcoming academic session,” university spokesperson Shafey Kidwai said.
The CUET does not cover engineering and medical courses.
The university had initially decided to maintain status quo on its admission policy as the case on its minority status was in the courts. However, on March 21, the Centre made it mandatory for all central universities to conduct undergraduate admissions solely on the basis of CUET.
The ministry of education, on March 15, wrote to AMU vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor stating that the legal dispute “does not bar AMU from participating in any test for selection of candidates.” The ministry also assured that the CUET will not take away AMU’s “power to admit students of its choice” as per the existing university norms.
AMU reserves 50% seats for students of madrasas (religious seminaries) recognised by it in various undergraduate courses.
The university’s provisions for admissions, including internal reservation, and the vice-chancellor’s nomination to various categories as well as admissions to students of bridge courses and madrasas will remain unaffected, said Omar Peerzada, AMU’s public relations officer.
“The university will hold its own counselling session and will conduct its own admission test for BTech, postgraduate courses, class 11, diploma courses, schools and all other courses,” he said.
AMU offers one-year bridge courses for students of madrasas before mainstreaming them to university education.
The academic council also resolved that the university will conduct its own counselling process for undergraduate admissions for CUET-qualified candidates.
CUET, a computer-based exam, will be conducted by the National Testing Agency in July. The registration process for the test has already started and continue till XXX date.
