NEET, JEE Exams to be merged into CUET?

New Delhi, Aug 12: Examination scenario in India may see drastic changes with the University Grants Commission (UGC) reportedly proposing the merger of multiple entrance exams for engineering and medical colleges, with the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate (CUET-UG). At present, students opt for NEET for medical and dental education, JEE Main for admission to engineering courses and CUET (introduced this year) for admission to degree courses in science, humanities and commerce in various universities.

However, if the new proposal is approved, all these exams would come under one umbrella.

According to the new proposal, instead of appearing in four subjects - Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology - in three entrance examinations, students can opt to study in different subjects after taking only one entrance examination. This means students wouldn't need to appear for different examinations for different streams, said a report published in The Times of India.

Speaking to Times of India, UGC Chairman Jagdish Kumar said , "It is proposed that all these entrance examinations be combined together. So that our students do not have to appear in multiple entrance examinations based on the same knowledge."

"Students will have to give only one entrance test but they will get admission opportunities in different fields," he said.

CUET

With 14.9 lakh registrations, the CUET is now the second-biggest entrance exam in the country, surpassing the JEE-Main's average registration of nine lakh. Apart from central universities, 12 state universities, 11 deemed universities, and 19 private universities have applied to participate in the first edition of CUET-UG for admissions in the academic session 2022-23.

JEE and NEET
This year, about 43 lakh students have appeared in the three main entrance examinations - Joint Entrance Test (main), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Graduation (medical entrance), and CUET-UG.