NEW DELHI: The second day of CUET-UG, 2025 witnessed continued disruptions, as technical failures at exam centres affected more than 350 students across J&K and Delhi. The repeated setbacks have sparked serious concerns about the readiness of infrastructure supporting this critical national-level test. In J&K, the situation was further exacerbated by logistical failures.
National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts CUET-UG, confirmed cancellation of exam on May 14 at Kite Polytechnic centre in Srinagar, citing technical malfunctions. The test was also cancelled at the centre on May 13, the first day of the exam. While 76 students were unable to take the test on May 13, dozens more were affected on Wednesday. NTA said fresh dates will be announced and new admit cards will be issued to the affected candidates. However, the agency’s response has done little to address the growing frustration among students and their families in the region.
Allocation of CUET-UG exam centres has also sparked widespread concern in Meghalaya , with the state govt accusing NTA of failing to communicate in advance about a shortage of centres within state. This oversight resulted in many students being assigned centres outside Meghalaya — some as far as Jorhat and Dibrugarh in Assam, Mizoram, and Bengal’s Kolkata — causing undue financial and logistical stress. Education minister Rakkam A Sangma urged NTA to defer the exams until additional centres, over 200 of which have already been identified and submitted to TCS for vetting, are made ready.
J&K Students Association president Nasir Khuehami said he had received numerous distress calls from students unable to attend the exam. “Many had to flee homes due to the (India-Pakistan) conflict. Some are in different states and have no way to return. Their academic future is at risk,” he said. Several students assigned centres outside the UT described the situation as unmanageable. A resident of Jammu was allotted a centre in Himachal Pradesh. “Travelling during this period was not just unsafe—it was impossible. My whole year’s effort feels wasted,” he lamented.
Delhi students faced a different set of obstacles. Candidates at centres such as the one in Rohini reported prolonged delays, power outages, and mismanagement. A students, who reached her centre at 6:30 am, said the gates remained closed well past reporting time, and the exam began nearly 90 minutes late. “There was no electricity, backup failed, and students were left waiting outside in the heat,” she said.
Inside the examination centre, students experienced rushed verification, poor ventilation, and inadequate seating arrangements. “One AC for 40 students — barely working,” Panghal recalled.
Similar reports came from centres in Ambala in Haryana, where candidates complained of extreme heat, lack of fans, and tight security that forced many to discard personal items due to the absence of lockers.
National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts CUET-UG, confirmed cancellation of exam on May 14 at Kite Polytechnic centre in Srinagar, citing technical malfunctions. The test was also cancelled at the centre on May 13, the first day of the exam. While 76 students were unable to take the test on May 13, dozens more were affected on Wednesday. NTA said fresh dates will be announced and new admit cards will be issued to the affected candidates. However, the agency’s response has done little to address the growing frustration among students and their families in the region.
Allocation of CUET-UG exam centres has also sparked widespread concern in Meghalaya , with the state govt accusing NTA of failing to communicate in advance about a shortage of centres within state. This oversight resulted in many students being assigned centres outside Meghalaya — some as far as Jorhat and Dibrugarh in Assam, Mizoram, and Bengal’s Kolkata — causing undue financial and logistical stress. Education minister Rakkam A Sangma urged NTA to defer the exams until additional centres, over 200 of which have already been identified and submitted to TCS for vetting, are made ready.
J&K Students Association president Nasir Khuehami said he had received numerous distress calls from students unable to attend the exam. “Many had to flee homes due to the (India-Pakistan) conflict. Some are in different states and have no way to return. Their academic future is at risk,” he said. Several students assigned centres outside the UT described the situation as unmanageable. A resident of Jammu was allotted a centre in Himachal Pradesh. “Travelling during this period was not just unsafe—it was impossible. My whole year’s effort feels wasted,” he lamented.
Delhi students faced a different set of obstacles. Candidates at centres such as the one in Rohini reported prolonged delays, power outages, and mismanagement. A students, who reached her centre at 6:30 am, said the gates remained closed well past reporting time, and the exam began nearly 90 minutes late. “There was no electricity, backup failed, and students were left waiting outside in the heat,” she said.
Inside the examination centre, students experienced rushed verification, poor ventilation, and inadequate seating arrangements. “One AC for 40 students — barely working,” Panghal recalled.
Similar reports came from centres in Ambala in Haryana, where candidates complained of extreme heat, lack of fans, and tight security that forced many to discard personal items due to the absence of lockers.
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