CUET Score Not Mandatory for Assam College Admissions

Due to the lack of a clear mandate from the state government or universities, most general degree colleges in Assam will not use Common University Entrance Test (CUET) marks for undergraduate admission in the academic year 2024-25. "According to information available to us, most colleges will enrol students in undergraduate courses such as BA, BSc, BCom and BBA based on the marks scored by the applicants in the last qualifying examination (Class XII board examination).It is going to be primarily admission on merit basis," commented Ranjan Kalita, general secretary of the Assam College Principals' Council.

The state has around 345 general degree colleges, including government and provincial institutions. The state higher education department has made all UG admissions available through the Assam higher education admission portal, a unified encrypted digital platform powered by the Samarth e-Gov suite. While the process has begun, admission dates have yet to be released.

A source said the state higher education department has not made CUET appearance mandatory, as awareness about it has yet to reach the expected level. "If the CUET score becomes mandatory, many students, especially in rural areas, won't get admission this year," he added.

However, with an exception, 40 percent of seats across all departments at Cotton University will be filled from CUET. "Those who appeared in CUET will get priority," said Cotton University academic registrar Bedanta Bora.

Arya Vidyapeeth College (Autonomous) also prioritises admission based on CUET score.

The principal of B Borooah College, Satyendra Nath Barman, said, "The performance of students in their Class XII boards will matter to making the cut in our college's merit list. There will be no differentiation between students from different boards. Unless we receive a clear directive from the university on CUET, it cannot be made mandatory. So, we will wait for another year."

Handique Girls' College and Gauhati Commerce College have also followed suit. "Registration and form fill up is being done through Samarth. But there is no directive to give preference on CUET scores," said Anjali Bhuyan Deka, co-ordinator for the BBA course.

"In 20 per cent of the total seats, students will be considered for admission based on their CUET scores. But they can also apply for the remaining 80 per cent seats where their marks in the last qualifying exam (Class XII boards) will be counted for admission. CUET score can be an advantage in getting admission in our college," said Pradip Kr Bhattacharyya, principal of the college