The Common University Entrance Test for undergraduate courses (CUET-UG) was envisaged two years ago as a novel solution to the peculiar problem in Indian higher education of sky-high cut-offs, triggered by a deluge of students across various state and central boards registering near-perfect scores. But as the results announced on Saturday show, this is definitely still a work in progress. This newspaper reported that the results showed an increase in students scoring in the 100th percentile. This year, 22,836 were in the topmost performance band, compared to 21,159 the previous year. A total of 1.1 million students took the test. The maximum number of 100th percentile scores were in English (5,685), followed by Biology (4,850), Economics (2,836), and Business Studies (2,357). Authorities should investigate whether this distribution reflects a shift in the profile of students doing well in CUET, as compared to the earlier decentralised board exam system.
There is little doubt that college admissions will see more intense competition this year, especially in the few elite institutions that represent the best shot at intergenerational mobility, thus are in greatest demand. Jostling for seats among students with superlative scores is a function of two intertwined factors — an unsophisticated examination system and the paucity of quality higher education options limited to a few elite universities. CUET was a firm first step to break this shackle, but its questioning and marking patterns may need further refinement. Ultimately, however, the problem will persist until India trains its focus on lifting the floor on higher education and seeds quality institutions across the country, not just in its metropolises.
