Delhi High Court has upheld the strict entry rules for CUET and denied relief to a student who arrived six minutes late. The court said, “Discipline must not be relaxed” to ensure fairness among all candidates.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court rejected the request of an 18-year-old student who was not allowed to take the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) because he reached six minutes late, saying being on time is very important.
The student reportedly reached the examination center at 8:36 AM on May 13, 2025, while the gates closed at 8:30 AM.
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Despite the brief delay, the court upheld the strict enforcement of entry times, highlighting the necessity of punctuality in large-scale assessments.
A bench consisting of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta reviewed her appeal, which contested an earlier decision by a single judge who had declined to intervene in her case.
The bench noted that both the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) information bulletin and the admit card explicitly instructed candidates to arrive by 7 AM, two hours ahead of the exam, and warned that entry would not be permitted after 8:30 AM.
While recognizing the potential negative impact on the student’s academic future, the court asserted that exceptions could not be made without jeopardizing the integrity of the examination process.
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The court stated,
“The CUET is an important entrance examination and the discipline in arriving at the examination hall in time, taking the seat in time and being at the centre before the gate closing time, are all part of the discipline and ethos of the examination ecosystem which ought not to be relaxed, in as much as, the same may lead to huge inequities between similarly placed students,”
This ruling reinforces the critical importance of adhering to examination schedules and guidelines. Candidates preparing for CUET and similar large-scale exams are encouraged to plan their arrival well in advance to avoid unexpected delays and ensure compliance with entry protocols.