CollegeDekho Editorial: The University Grants Commission implemented a single national-level exam for UG (non-professional) courses admission in 2022, i.e., CUET UG. This exam replaced the CUCET exam that was exclusively conducted for admissions to Central Universities. However, universities like BHU, DU, UoH, AUD, etc used to accept CUCET scores only for a limited set of courses. Ever since UGC implemented CUET, the participation of students from Bihar, Assam, UP, MP and Rajasthan has been phenomenal. Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 2 lakh plus takers everyear followed by Bihar and Delhi with almost 1 lakh takers. However, the participation of students from the southern part of India has been low. For instance, the number of students opting for CUET UG from Southern states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is not even exceeding 15,000. Kerala is still an exception, with almost 40,000 students on average opting for CUET UG every year.

CUET UG Exam: Top and least opted states

Here are the details regarding the top and the least opted states in the CUET UG Exam (as per 2023 data). The 2024 state-wise data has not been released by NTA officially -

Probable Reasons for CUET UG being the Least Opted Exam in South India

Here is the list of probable reasons why CUET UG is the least preferred by students in Southern states -

• CUET UG is not a mandatory exam in Southern states for admission to non-professional UG courses. The admission process is usually pretty simplified in these states
• For instance, autonomous colleges in Andhra Pradesh conduct their own admission process and CUET UG is not a mandatory requirement for the same. The majority of the top colleges offering UG courses in AP are autonomous. Therefore, CUET UG becomes irrelevant for students aspiring for admission to these colleges as the admissions are purely based on Intermediate marks. On the other hand, AP conducts OAMDC Degree Admissions (online process) for admission to UG courses in state-level universities and affiliated colleges. These admissions are based on Intermediate marks. CUET UG is only mandatory for admission to the Central University of Andhra Pradesh in the state
• Karnataka also comes under the same zone where CUET UG is not a mandatory requirement for UG admission. Only the Central University of Karnataka and certain private deemed universities fall under the CUET zone. For Degree admissions, there is a centralised admission process conducted by the state government for which CUET UG is not required. The admissions are based on 2nd PUC marks
• Tamil Nadu is no exception. The state government conducts TNGASA, a centralised admission process for admission to UG courses. Class 12 marks are the sole criterion for determining the seat allotment. Therefore, CUET UG becomes irrelevant for students
• Telangana conducts TG DOST - an online admission process for UG (non-professional) courses. For this admission too, CUET UG is not a mandatory requirement. The admissions are purely based on Intermediate marks
• Various universities of Maharashtra (specifically top ones like Mumbai University) conduct their own admission process based on HSC marks for non-professional UG courses

These states have not put a mandatory implication of CUET UG for admissions. Therefore, many students do not register/ appear for this exam until and unless they wish to get admission in central universities. While UGC's aim is to promote awareness of CUET UG at the pan-India level, Southern states are opting for their own admission process. As a result, the participation of students from Southern states has become limited. While NEET UG is a single-level exam for medical and dental admissions in India, a single-level exam for UG courses (mandatorily followed by all states) might streamline the admission process better across the country. However, unlike NEET UG, the Union Government has not put mandatory implementation of UET UG. States have the choice to decide whether to accept CUET UG scores for admission or opt for their own admission process.

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