E-Paper
14 lakh apply for CUET-UG, 41% jump from last year: UGC data
Nearly 14 lakh candidates have applied for the Common University Entrance Test for undergraduate admissions (CUET-UG) this year, a 41% increase compared to the debut edition last year
New Delhi: Nearly 14 lakh candidates have applied for the Common University Entrance Test for undergraduate admissions (CUET-UG) this year, a 41% increase compared to the debut edition last year, according to data shared by the University Grants Commission on Tuesday
Although the last date for applying was on March 30, the National Testing Agency that conducts the exam provided a correction window for three days. The exams will be conducted between May 21 and 31.
A total of 16.85 lakh students registered this year, but 13.99 lakh paid the application fee to complete the process, the higher education regulator said. In 2022, 9.9 lakh students had completed the registration process. The number of participating universities have increased to 242 from 90 in 2022.
The testing agency had announced the exam schedule well in advance, giving sufficient time for participating universities and students to prepare, commission chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said. “The significant rise indicates that CUET-UG is becoming a popular option for admissions in undergraduate programmes,” he said.
Continuing last year’s trend, the maximum number of applicants were from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Delhi and Bihar, Kumar said. Similarly, like last year, the maximum number of applications have been received for Delhi University, followed by Banaras Hindu University, University of Allahabad, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University and Jamia Millia Islamia.
“Last year, students from 59 countries submitted their applications for CUET-UG,” Kumar said. “In 2023, this number increased to 74 countries, with 1,000 students spread across Europe, Asia, America and the Gulf countries having applied for the exam.”
Of the 13.99 lakh applicants, 6.51 lakh are female and 7.48 lakh male. Last year, 4.34 lakh were female and 5.56 lakh male. “Compared to 2022, this year the increase in female students is 50%, compared to 34% in male students,” Kumar said.
There has been a substantial growth in the number of applications from students under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, the data show. “The number of applications under the ST category has increased from 58,881 in 2022 to 95,119 this year, indicating a rise of 61.5%,” the commission said in a statement.
Similarly, the number of applications increased by 35.5% in the Schedule Caste category, 45.2% in the Other Backward Classes- Non Creamy Layer, and 20.5% in the economically weaker section category in comparison to 2022, the data show.
There has also been a considerable increase in the number of applications from Jammu and Kashmir, from 13,021 to 82,655. Similarly, the number of applications have also increased from northeast by 31%. Among the five southern states, the maximum applications have been received from Kerala (56,111), followed by Tamil Nadu (24,462).
Participating universities are not just using CUET-UG scores for admission to undergraduate courses in humanities, commerce and science, but also for engineering, law, architecture and computer applications programmes, Kumar said.
