With around 16.85 lakh registrations this year, the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) is set to become one of the largest entrance exams in the country.
Out of 16.85 lakh aspirants, nearly 14 lakh have submitted their application forms.
In 2022, when the entrance test was conducted for the first time, 12.50 lakh aspirants registered for the exam, while 9.9 lakh submitted their applications.
UGC Chairman Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar said that last year, students from 59 countries submitted their applications for the entrance test. "In 2023, this number increased to 74 countries... Overall, in 2023, there is a 41 per cent increase in the total number of students who will sit for the CUET-UG," he said.
"We have also seen an increase in the number of participating universities. In 2022, it was 90, but in 2023 it rose to 242. This significant rise indicates that CUET-UG is becoming a popular option for admissions in UG programmes," he added.
The five Central Universities which have received the largest number of applications for CUET-UG in 2023 are University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, University of Allahabad, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Out of 14 lakh aspirants, who will appear in the entrance test, 6.51 lakhs are females while 7.48 lakhs are males. Compared to 2022, this year, the number of female applicants has increased by 50 per cent while the number of male applicants has increased by 34 per cent.
The CUET UG exams will be held from May 21 to May 31 and the academic session will begin from August 1.
This year, there is also a substantial growth in the number of applications submitted by ST category aspirants.
Besides B.A., B.Com, and B.Sc., the CUET-UG score is also used for admissions in various other programmes such as Integrated Dual Degree BBA LL.B, B.Voc., B. Des., Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor in Computer Application, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Integrated B.Sc.-M.Sc. or Integrated BA-MA, Kumar added.
Interestingly, the CUET-UG score is also used for admission in B.Tech courses in a large number of universities. It is also used for lateral entry of diploma holders in the second year of B.Tech.
The top three states from where the largest number of aspirants will appear in CUET-UG 2023 are Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Bihar. The same three states were the top three states in 2022 as well.
There is a considerable jump in the number of aspirants from the Jammu and Kashmir region. In 2022, as many as 13,021 aspirants took CUET-UG from the region, while in 2023, this number has jumped to 82,655.
The number of aspirants from northeastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim), has increased from 59,208 in 2022 to 77,365 in 2023 -- a 31 per cent increase compared to 2022.
Among the five states in South - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu - the largest number of applications were received from Kerala. In 2022, 37,303 students from Kerala applied for CUET-UG, while in 2023, this number reached 56,111, indicating an increase of 51 per cent compared to 2022.