New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has landed into fresh controversy after technical failures delayed the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG 2026) at multiple centres, triggering protests from students and parents and reviving concerns over the agency’s handling of major national examinations.
The disruption comes after controversies surrounding NEET and reported lapses in CBSE examinations, with critics arguing that repeated failures expose serious shortcomings in the education system. Students were forced to wait for hours outside examination centres, prompting sharp political attacks.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Atishi targeted Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying the sequence of failures involving NEET, CBSE and now CUET reflected extreme incompetence. Opposition parties demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence and take action against those responsible. The latest controversy is particularly damaging as a CBI probe is already underway into alleged irregularities in the NEET examination process.
Responding to the criticism, the NTA said the delay resulted from a technical malfunction involving its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The agency said the issue had been resolved, full compensatory time was being provided to affected candidates, and the afternoon examination schedule had been revised because the morning session started late. It also expressed regret for the inconvenience and issued helpline numbers and email contacts for assistance.
Introduced in 2022 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, CUET-UG serves as the unified entrance examination for admissions to central and state universities. Because of the massive number of applicants and complex subject combinations, the test is conducted over multiple days. However, recurring technical glitches and security concerns are intensifying allegations that the NTA is failing to conduct crucial examinations smoothly despite deciding the future of millions of students.