CET for UG, PG courses in central universities may be conducted from 2022-2023 through NTA: UGC

NEW DELHI: The Common Entrance Test (CET) for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in central universities may be conducted from the academic session 2022-2023 through the National Testing Agency (NTA), according to the UGC. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also said that for admission in PhD programme NET score shall be used, wherever feasible.

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"Accordingly, all central universities are advised to take appropriate measures for the Common Entrance Test from the academic session 2022-2023. These tests would be conducted in minimum 13 languages in which NTA is already conducting JEE and NEET examinations," the UGC said in a letter to vice-chancellors of all universities. "The Common Entrance Test may also be adopted by the willing state/private universities/deemed to be universities," the commission said.

The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, had proposed a CET for all universities through the NTA which will serve as a premier, expert, autonomous testing organisation to offer high-quality common aptitude test, as well as specialised common subject exams in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts, and vocational subjects in higher education institutions.

A committee was constituted to look into the matter and to suggest the modalities for conducting the test for central universities. "The committee held several rounds of discussions regarding the modalities in details for conducting the CET. Thereafter, a meeting was held with the vice-chancellors of all central universities on November 21 to discuss the recommendations of the panel," it said.

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The Ministry of Education had earlier announced that admission to universities will be based on a common entrance test from 2021 academic session but the plan could not take off due to challenges posed by COVID-19.