DU UG admission 2026 in limbo as teachers flag delay in NTA CUET result declaration

CUET Result Date 2026: The University of Delhi (DU) might once again face a delayed DU UG admission 2026 as it waits for the declaration of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG 2026) results before starting registrations. However, the delay in result declaration has raised concerns among teachers over disruptions in the academic calendar, since the introduction of CUET in 2022.

The development comes despite DU officials having already indicated that the registration process for DU UG admission would begin in the third week of May.

According to the dean of admissions Haneet Gandhi, the UG admission process is expected to start after the CUET UG 2026 results are announced. The university will be taking necessary steps to avoid delays in the admission process, and a minimum of four lists will be published.

The delay comes amid fresh disruptions in this year’s CUET UG exam 2026 process.

On May 30, a technical glitch affected the test, prompting the National Testing Agency (NTA) to revise the schedule and conduct a re-test for over 3,765 students who had left their TCS exam centre amid the ongoing technical issues.

Later, in a post on X, the NTA announced that the re-exam will be held on May 31 and June 6 and 7. Candidates appearing for the re-exam can download the CUET UG admit card available on the official website, cuet.nta.nic.in.

Delay is part of a larger pattern, say teachers

As per the PTI report, several teachers have flagged that the delay in the NTA exam process is part of a larger pattern that has repeatedly affected the university's academic calendar since CUET was introduced in 2022.

In 2025, DU began classes on August 1, but ongoing admission and mop-up rounds stretched until late September, leaving many students joining weeks into the semester. A similar pattern was seen in 2024, when the session started late on August 29 due to delayed CUET-UG results, with mop-up rounds continuing into October.

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CUET 2026: ‘Students have lost faith in NTA’

Meanwhile, faculty members have raised concerns that the prolonged admission process has created uncertainty for both students and teachers while affecting classroom learning.

Abha Dev Habib, associate professor of Physics at Miranda House said that student have lost faith in NTA, but the bigger issue remains the delay in admission and its impact on the academic calendar.

She suggests that the university should consider reverting to the earlier system of admissions based on Class 12 results, instead of providing a level playing field for students from different boards.

Habib further insists that the goal can still be achieved through a percentile-based system, where toppers from different boards are treated equally, ensuring admissions are completed on time.

Habib also criticised the rise of coaching culture surrounding the examination. "Exams like CUET shift the focus towards multiple-choice preparation and have led to a mushrooming coaching industry. The emphasis moves away from actual academic learning," she added.

She also pointed out that when mop-up rounds go on for months, many students end up joining classes very late, making things hard for both students and teachers.

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DU lost control over its academic schedule

Similar concerns were echoed by Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor of English at Kirori Mal College, who said the university had lost control over its academic schedule.

"CUET has taken away the autonomy of the university. Earlier, we had a fixed academic calendar, admissions were completed on time and examinations followed a predictable schedule, and DU was considered a model university in that regard," Chakraborty said.

She said that now every academic year begins with uncertainty, as the entire admission calendar depends on CUET. Chakraborty also highlighted some disadvantages of the entrance test system. More and more students are enrolling in dummy schools for Classes 11 and 12 to have more time to focus on CUET coaching, which means they skip real classroom learning, affecting their overall academic development and general knowledge.

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NTA under the spotlight amid irregularities, delays

The concerns emerge amid the scrutiny of national-level entrance exams conducted by NTA, with controversies surrounding NEET UG 2026, delays in the conduct of competitive exams and complaints regarding management placing the testing agency under fresh spotlight.

However, amid the uncertainties, Delhi University officials say they are trying to ensure the upcoming academic session runs smoothly. Whatsoever, teachers argue that the repeated delays have revealed flaws in the exam conducting system.

CUET was introduced to make admissions easier and more uniform, but instead it has made the university's academic calendar dependent on a centralised exam process that has repeatedly failed to deliver on time.