The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions was delayed at some centres on May 30 after the National Testing Agency said a technical glitch at Tata Consultancy Services had affected the start of the exam.
The agency said the issue had been resolved and that candidates were being given full compensatory time so that no student was disadvantaged.
CUET-UG is a national-level entrance test for admission to undergraduate programmes across central, state and private universities.
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वही NTA जो लगातार 2-3 सालों से NEET का पेपर लीक करते करते एक क़दम और आगे बढ़ चुकी है
— BhadohiQueen (@BhadohiQueen) May 30, 2026
NEET विवाद के बाद अब #CUET परीक्षा में भी भारी बवाल। 30 मई को देश भर के कई परीक्षा केंद्रों पर सर्वर डाउन होने (Technical Glitch) के कारण परीक्षा 3 घंटे की देरी से शुरू हुई। pic.twitter.com/9oeyIZiz0I
Political response to the CUET delay
The delay immediately drew a political response.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having “completely destroyed” the education system, linking the CUET disruption to broader concerns over the conduct of major examinations.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the government could not conduct even a single exam properly while claiming to be a “vishwaguru”. He also referred to NEET, CBSE and SSC, saying that four examinations involving about one crore students had not been conducted honestly.
The CUET (UG) exam is being conducted across the country today.
— Shruti Dhore (@ShrutiDhore) May 30, 2026
The exam failed to start even after two hours at various centers across the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.
This caused a lot of uproar.
The NTA has now clarified that it was a… https://t.co/M9XyNkQP0f pic.twitter.com/DN56VToW1v
Wider scrutiny of examination systems
Gandhi’s criticism comes against the backdrop of recent scrutiny of key exams and the institutions running them.
CBSE has faced questions over alleged discrepancies in Class 12 board results linked to a new on-screen marking (OSM) method, while NEET had earlier been in the headlines over paper leak allegations.
The CUET disruption added fresh fuel to that criticism, with the Opposition using it to argue that the government has failed to restore confidence in the country’s examination system.
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The chorus of criticism swells
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also targeted the prime minister, saying the country “needs an educated PM”.
Responding to a post by AAP leader Atishi about difficulties faced by students at an examination centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, Kejriwal accused the government of talking “like uneducated people” and said the education system had fallen into the hands of a “mafia”.
He later said collective action would be needed to fix the problem and claimed the government’s response was only a show.
