Students appearing for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to undergraduate (UG) courses faced disruption in Ranchi as well after a technical glitch led to a delayed start at a centre in Tupudana on Saturday. Parents accompanying candidates from outstation places said they reached the centre more than an hour before the scheduled reporting time, but the test began nearly two hours late, triggering frustration outside the venue.
Parent Expresses Frustration Over Delay
A parent waiting outside the centre questioned the lack of accountability for the delay. “When a student comes five minutes late, he or she is not allowed to enter the hall. However, who is responsible for the big delay in the examination?” he asked.
NTA Conducts CUET Nationwide
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting CUET nationwide from May 11, including at centres in five Jharkhand cities — Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Ramgarh. Candidates in Ranchi said the delay added to anxiety, particularly for those travelling from distant locations and those scheduled to appear for multiple papers.
Technical Issues Inside the Lab
Another UG aspirant, Shistri Bhattacharya, who appeared on May 11 and May 23 for other papers, pointed to issues inside the lab as well. “During the exam, computers of some candidates were not running smoothly. They even complained to supervisors about it. The repeated frisking was also a cause of irritation,” she said.
CUET Scores Used for University Admissions
CUET scores are used for admission to UG programmes in central universities and participating state universities. In Jharkhand, Ranchi University (RU) is among the institutions taking part in the CUET-based admission process, but it has announced that only half of its seats will be filled through the test scores.
Ranchi University's Admission Policy
University’s media spokesperson Smriti Singh said, “The RU administration has decided to reserve 50% seats each for the CUET and the Plus II examination scores. In case the colleges do not find enough candidates on the basis of CUET scores, the vacant seats would be filled up on the basis of Plus II marks.”
RU, the state’s largest university, has 19 constituent colleges and 17 minority and affiliated colleges, enrolling around 65,000 to 70,000 students every year. Last year, it extended admission deadlines multiple times due to vacant seats. This year, UG admissions for affiliated and minority colleges have begun, while constituent colleges are expected to start the process next month.
