Parliamentary Panel Questions CUET’s MCQ Format for Humanities; Demands Time-Bound NTA Reform Roadmap

CUET Parliamentary Committee: There is considerable apprehension raised by a parliamentary committee about the CUET testing structure conducted by NTA. The parliamentary panel has made it clear that the usage of only the Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in the examination for humanities and arts disciplines would significantly curtail the individual’s independent subjective thinking abilities. Since all the aforementioned subjects require critical thinking and analysis, an objective test based examination structure would mean that candidates will have to focus on nothing more than memorizing facts. 

At the same time, the committee has questioned NTA due to numerous technical issues, security flaws, and operational errors in national level examinations. Keeping in mind the interest and mental peace of millions of students who appear in these tests, it has been asked that the Ministry of Education make it mandatory for them to release a roadmap to reform institutions.

CUET’s MCQ Format for Arts

The Parliamentary Committee was very harsh on the flaws in the standard tests which did not test the actual ability of those who wanted to opt for the social science and humanities career path:

• Memorizing Versus Critical Analysis: It is noted that whereas MCQs were helpful in judging the mathematical and scientific talent of candidates, it led them to only memorize the subjects of history, sociology, and English literature.

• Communication Skill Evaluation: Talent in the subject of humanities had always been judged through story telling, context, and arguments; all of which are neglected by the bubble test form.

• Fair Competition: The committee observed that such tests usually discriminated against those candidates who could not afford any special coaching in elimination techniques and shortcuts.

Parliamentary Mandates for NTA Restructuring

In view of the larger picture that involves national competitive examinations, the House Committee was highly dissatisfied by the recurrent leaks of papers and disturbances in the schedule, and presented an elaborate checklist of things that needed to be done to put the entire system in order:

• Fixed timeline: Implement strict measures within a deadline to ensure proper security upgrading

• Third-party audits: Perform mandatory third-party cyber-security audit procedures

• Decoupling: Experiment on either descriptive or hybrid styles in humanistic disciplines

• Decentralization: Effectively manage examinations by decentralizing exam testing procedures.