NITI Aayog member Gobardhan Das on Sunday also supported multiple choice questions in entrance exams of universities like JNU and stressed that the format is a fair test of intelligence.
The comments by Das, a renowned educationist, come amid criticism of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) since its implementation in 2022, with several teacher groups arguing that the MCQ-based exam has reduced the emphasis on analytical and descriptive skills.
“The format of multiple choice questions for entrance exams is not suitable for universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) because universities need to test your intelligence, not (what you have understood)… If you cannot connect 2-3 things, you cannot really answer the questions.” “MCQs are always preferred (in university entrance exams) because you can assess many aspects (of candidates) in a short period of time,” he told PTI. He said CUET is an innovative idea.
Last month, a parliamentary committee had raised concerns over CUET, saying its multiple-choice format may not be in line with humanities and social sciences, while seeking a review of its design and question quality in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
Das said, “Students with convent education will have good language skills compared to government school students coming from ordinary backgrounds…For admission to universities like JNU, we are not really looking at how well you can speak or write English, rather we are looking for intelligent people.”
The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports had said in a report, “Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) answers are particularly inappropriate for humanities and social science subjects which invariably focus on independent, subjective thinking.” “The Committee recommends a review of the quality of question paper and the design of the CUET examination to ensure that it meets the objective envisaged in the NEP, 2020,” the report said.
CUET was launched to streamline the admission process by replacing multiple university-specific entrance exams with a single exam.