JEE Main, NEET to be merged with CUET, says UGC Chief

UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar has revealed that the engineering and medical entrances will likely be merged with the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG)  from the next academic year. The University Grants Commission (UGC) will form a committee of experts to explore ways to do the merger.

As per the UGC chairperson, the merging of JEE (Main) and NEET under the larger umbrella of CUET will reduce the burden on students. This will be done under the National Education Policy, 2020.

Let us tell you that JEE (Main) examination is conducted to select student for admission to premier engineering institutes in the country and NEET is the entrance test for all undergraduate medical programmes.

The CUET-UG, which is currently underway, is likely to be held at least twice a year from 2023-24, Kumar added.

The common entrance will relieve the students of the burden of appearing in multiple entrances.

Jagadesh Kumar said, “After the introduction of CUET, we now have three major entrance examinations in the country — NEET, JEE and CUET — and most students take at least two of these examinations, and many may even write all three. In NEET, you have Biology, Physics and Chemistry, and in JEE you have Maths, Physics and Chemistry. So, two subjects are anyway common there and the same subjects are also used in CUET for admission in various universities. So, why should we subject the students to multiple entrance examinations.”

When will the exams be merged?

However, the UGC chief has clarified that the idea has not been finalised yet, and he wants to ensure that the National Testing Agency (NTA) and all concerned stakeholders are well-prepared before the new common entrance test is launched for students.

“First, the UGC will form an expert committee that will look at the possibility of an integrated, one single CUET and come up with recommendations. Then, these recommendations will be put up for stakeholders’ feedback, and based on the feedback the process will be finalized,” Kumar explained.

He also added that “Let’s have one common entrance examination maybe in the coming year or next year, but conduct it multiple times in a year, maybe twice in a year so that students will have an opportunity to write it a second time and get admission in disciplines of their choice.”

In this way, the aspirants will get multiple chances to appear for the entrance exam and not miss any opportunities as the UGC and NTA have not set any limit on the number of attempts.