Central universities can conduct their own entrance exams or admit students on the basis of marks in the qualifying exam if seats remain vacant in undergraduate and postgraduate courses after admissions through CUET, the UGC announced on Thursday.

Keeping the seats vacant for an entire academic year is not only a waste of resources but also results in denial of quality higher education to many students who aspire to pursue higher studies in central universities, it said.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), however, clarified that scores of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) will remain the primary criteria for admitting students.

"It has come to the notice of the UGC that seats remain vacant in some of the central universities even after three or four rounds of counselling. To keep the seats vacant for an entire academic year is not only a waste of resources but also results in denial of quality higher education to many students who aspire to pursue higher studies in central universities," UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said.

"Hence, in order to facilitate the central universities to fill up their vacant seats, the SOPs have been formulated. Students who appeared in CUET, but may or may not have applied to the respective university for the courses or programmes earlier may also be considered," he said.

The commission has recommended that students who appeared in CUET may be considered irrespective of the domain subject papers in which they appeared.

"The university may relax the domain subject-specific criteria for admission to a particular course. In case seats remain vacant even after exhausting the list of applicants who appeared in CUET, the university may consider conducting an entrance examination at its own level or the concerned department may conduct a screening test.

"The university may also admit students on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination. The entire admission process has to be based on merit and transparency. The reservation roster shall apply for admission to courses/programmes in all cases," Kumar said.

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