NEW DELHI: The second edition of CUET-UG will see a 41 percent jump in the total number of students taking the examinations for admission in undergraduate courses at central universities.
Also, the number of universities that have accepted the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score has gone up from 90 in 2022 to 242 in 2023, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. M Jagadesh Kumar told The New Indian Express.
In 2022, the debut year of CUET-UG, 12.50 lakh students registered, and 9.9 lakh students submitted their applications.
In 2023, 16.85 lakh students registered, of which 13.995 lakhs paid the application fee and submitted the application form. This was an increase of 4 lakh students. “In 2023, there is a 41% increase in the total number of students who will sit for CUET-UG," he said. The exams are scheduled from May 21 to 31.
Prof Kumar said that among the five southern states - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu - the most significant number of students from Kerala will attempt CUET-UG this time.
In 2022, 37,303 students from Kerala applied for CUET-UG, compared to 56,111 this year, showing an increase of 51 per cent.
The second largest number of submitted applications in 2023 is from Tamil Nadu, which stands at 24,462, an increase of 45 per cent compared to 2022.
The top three states where most students will appear in CUET-UG are Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar. These three states were the top three states in 2022 too.
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Out of 13.99 lakhs who will sit for CUET-UG in 2023, 6.51 lakhs are females and 7.48 lakhs are males. In 2022, out of 9.90 lakhs, 4.34 lakhs were females and 5.56 lakhs were males.
“Compared to 2022, this year, the increase in female students is 50% compared to 34% in male students,” Prof. Kumar said.
With more universities opting for CUET scores for admission, he said this “significant rise indicates that CUET-UG is becoming a popular option for admissions in UG programmes.”
There is a substantial growth in the number of submitted applications of ST students. In 2022, it was 58,881. But in 2023, it rose to 95,119, indicating a rise of 61.5 per cent compared to 2022.
A similar increase was seen in other categories too. For SC category students, the submitted applications in 2023 are 1,40,307, an increase of 35.5% compared to 2022.
The number of submitted applications in 2023 for Other Backward Caste-Non Creamy Layer, General-unreserved, and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category students is 461022, 642443 and 60611, respectively.
This indicates a rise of 45.2%, 39.6%, and 20.5% in the OBC-NCL, General-unreserved and EWS category applications compared to 2022, he added.
The five central universities which have received the most significant number of applications for CUET-UG in 2023 are Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, University of Allahabad, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University and Jamia Millia Islamia. Last year, these universities were also the primary draw.
There is a considerable jump in the number of students from the Jammu and Kashmir region. In 2022, a total of 13021 students took CUET-UG from this region. But in 2023, this number is 82655 representing an increase of 6.3 times.
From the north-eastern region (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim), the number of students who will take CUET-UG has increased by 31% as compared to 2022. While 59,208 students took CUET-UG in 2022, it is 77,365 in 2023.
Last year students from 59 countries submitted their applications for CUET-UG; this year, it has increased to 74 countries, with 1000 students spread across Europe, Asia, America and Gulf countries.
Prof. Kumar said the CUET-UG score is not only used for admissions in B.A., B.Com, and B.Sc. in various disciplines; it is also used for admissions in various other programmes such as Integrated Dual Degree BBA LL.B, B.Voc., B. Des., Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor in Computer Application, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Integrated B.Sc.-M.Sc. or Integrated BA-MA.
The score is also used for admissions in B.Tech in various engineering disciplines by many universities. It is also used for lateral entry of diploma holders in the second year of B.Tech, he added.
