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India Today
2 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Will CUET become the JEE of non-STEM courses? It's already acting like one
Just three years in, CUET has changed how India gets into college. Board cut-offs no longer dominate admissions to top universities. A single national entrance test now determines seats in disciplines like Economics, Sociology, BBA, and around 13 lakh students taking CUET UG 2025, it's hard not to ask: is CUET becoming the JEE of non-STEM disciplines?That question seems to be answering itself -- with a 'yes.'advertisement Delhi University's 2025-26 cut-off lists have made it official: CUET is no longer just a procedural shift. It's become a high-stakes the highest cut-off at Hindu College reaching a staggering 950/1,000 for Political Science and top courses like Psychology, English, and Economics requiring normalised scores above the 99th percentile, CUET is functioning as a national merit barometer for humanities and commerce -- much like JEE does for engineering.'CUET is undoubtedly emerging as a national-level benchmark for non-STEM disciplines. It is bringing some structure and clarity to a space that was previously fragmented and fuzzy,' says Avnee Khosla, Vice President at Shoolini EXAM TO LEVEL THEM ALL?From unpredictable college-specific interviews and shifting board cut-offs to one uniform entrance -- CUET has brought visibility and order to arts and commerce courses that were often treated as she's quick to add a big 'but.''If CUET begins to turn into the hyper-competitive, coaching-driven pressure cooker that JEE is, a democratising tool will morph into a gatekeeping one,' Khosla recently released DU cut-offs underscore that concern. Of the 1,528 unique course-college combinations, the highest ranks were dominated by BA (Hons.) courses in Political Science, Psychology, English, and Economics -- fields that 59% of CUET applicants reportedly (Hons.) programmes saw cut-offs upwards of 917 (SRCC), placing them squarely in the 98-100 percentile range. (AI-generated image) A PRESSURE TEST IN THE MAKINGDr. Meenakshi Khurana, Dean at Manav Rachna University, believes CUET is already echoing the structure -- and stress -- of JEE.'Yes, in many ways, CUET is starting to play a role similar to what JEE does for engineering. There's definitely more pressure now on students to crack a single high-stakes exam,' she and late announcements in 2025 only added to that stress.'Even minor disruptions can create major anxiety,' she says. 'So yes, in terms of pressure and preparation load, CUET is starting to resemble JEE, but we must be cautious that it doesn't start replicating its drawbacks too.'RISING COACHING DEPENDENCE, RISING INEQUALITY?advertisementAll the experts we spoke to pointed to the same concern: the rapid rise of coaching centres for CUET and the access gap it's creating.'Sadly, this is a pattern India knows too well. Whenever we introduce a centralised exam, coaching ecosystems inevitably come in to profit from the scenario,' says Khosla.'It is not just about talent; it's about test readiness. And that is increasingly outsourced to private coaching.'Dr. Enid Verghese Jacob from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science agrees. She says CUET, though launched with good intentions, has brought new inequities into the system.'The rise of specialised CUET coaching institutes gives an unfair advantage to urban and affluent students In contrast, rural students often lack access to quality coaching and cannot afford expensive preparation,' she is even more troubling when you consider how narrow the admissions window has become. With top DU colleges requiring 97-99+ percentiles for popular humanities and commerce courses, even a few percentile points can make or break a candidate's chances. (AI-generated image) advertisementIS THE TEST OUTPACING THE CLASSROOM?CUET may also be hollowing out regular school learning.'Students and teachers [now] view school as merely a stepping stone to external exam preparation,' says Dr. Verghese with the DU admission landscape tilting so sharply towards CUET scores, board exams seem to be losing their Khurana echoes the concern: 'The frequent changes in exam patterns, syllabus updates, and lack of clarity are definitely causing a lot of stress for students.''LET'S NOT SHIELD STUDENTS FROM UNCERTAINTY'Still, not everyone sees CUET's unpredictability as a problem.'We are over-focussing on stability, when what students need are skills to navigate uncertainty,' says believes CUET can actually help students build test-smart thinking, if it moves away from rote memory and towards comprehension, reasoning, and logic.'This is a moment for our education system to shift gears; from 'teaching to test' to 'teaching for thinking',' she says.A TEST IN SEARCH OF TRUSTDespite everything CUET promises, it still lacks something JEE has: trust and students and parents still don't know much about CUET,' says Verghese Jacob. 'That makes them hesitant to prepare for it when board and other entrance exam preparations take years of commitment.' (AI-generated image) A major reason is the lack of universal adoption. While DU and other central universities rely on CUET, many private institutions do not, causing confusion and fragmented strategies.'CUET won't become the standard until private institutions also adopt it and until it has the same support system that JEE has -- coaching centers, study materials, and trust from everyone involved,' Jacob EXAM, MANY DISCIPLINES - ONE SIZE FITS NONE?Another challenge? CUET uses a standardised MCQ format across a wide range of fields, some of which may need a different kind of evaluation.'Disciplines like humanities, social sciences, or design have always required a more holistic evaluation such as writing skills, critical thinking, creativity,' notes Dr. Khurma, CEO of Woxsen University, adds: 'Humanities, social sciences, and creative domains are inherently pluralistic. For CUET to hold similar stature [as JEE], it must assess aptitude but also nurture diversity in learner profiles.'advertisementCase studies, interviews, scenario analysis, portfolios -- these may need to be part of CUET's next WHAT NOW?For now, CUET is walking a tightrope. It's trying to make admissions fairer. But it's in danger of becoming a pressure CUET wants to be the non-STEM answer to JEE, it will need to make some choices: Does it reward application or memory? Does it level the field -- or just raise the bar?'In an ideal world, every student, regardless of their background, should get a fair shot at quality education,' Khosla says. 'Inclusivity and not exclusivity will be key to CUET's true success.'- Ends
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Windsurf's Indian-origin founder slammed for joining Google; Vinod Khosla calls them 'Bad examples' of founders
Windsurf's Indian-origin co-founder, Varun Mohan, is facing criticism from venture capitalist Vinod Khosla for joining Google. The Indian-American billionaire, who is also the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, took to the social media platform X (earlier Twitter) to call Mohan and his co-founder, Douglas Chen , "bad examples" of founders. This comes after a potential $3 billion acquisition of their AI startup, Windsurf, by OpenAI didn't go through. Subsequently, Mohan and Chen joined Google DeepMind , leaving the remaining Windsurf executives to scramble for a new deal. However, the remaining team ultimately secured an acquisition by another AI startup named Cognition, which Khosla Ventures invests in. Cognition's new CEO, Jeff Wang, described the situation as "crazy." What Vinod Khosla said about Windsurf's founders Replying to a recent X post criticising Windsurf's founders, Khosla wrote: 'So true. Windsurf and others are really bad examples of founders leaving their teams behind and not even sharing the proceeds with their team. I definitely would not work with their founders next time.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Launch at Godrej Sector 12 | Luxurious 3 BHK + S & 4 BHK Homes @₹2.90 Cr* Godrej Majesty Learn More Undo Khosla made his comments in reaction to a clip from The Twenty Minute VC podcast, where Cognition founder Scott Wu said: 'There's an unspoken covenant that as a founder, you go down with the ship. And I think that, for better or worse, it's changed a bit over the last year, and I think it's a bit disappointing to be honest.' Later on, another X user called out Khosla's response as hypocritical, prompting him to elaborate further. Responding to this, Khosla wrote: 'Absolutely not hypocritical about it. I would not work with the WeWork founder either! Working without trust is sure way to be unhappy. And is this founder able to get the best teams to come join him? A 100X isn't worth it to me at the cost of my values, especially since I have the luxury of not needing the money. Not saying it applies to others. I honestly asked myself if I made $1b on this "deal" would I accept it and be quiet or fight for the rest of the team? Or give part of my money to the rest of the team? Hard to say without being in the situation but I feel I'd definitely fight for those left behind.' Google Pixel 10 Series Launch: Everything Coming on August 20 AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Vinod Khosla says Windsurf's founders abandoned their team: 'I definitely would not work with their founders next time'
Varun Mohan and Douglas Chen nearly struck a deal to sell the company to OpenAI for $3 billion before it suddenly fell through. Then,the two decamped to Google DeepMind, leaving the rest of the company scrambling. Windsurf's remaining executives struck a deal with another AI startup, Cognition, the following weekend, which its new CEO, Jeff Wang, described as "crazy." Now, legendary venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has weighed in on the drama, criticizing the founders' decision to leave. Khosla Ventures is an investor in Cognition. "Windsurf and others are really bad examples of founders leaving their teams behind and not even sharing the proceeds with their team," Khosla said in an X post. "I definitely would not work with their founders next time." Khosla's remarks were in response to a clip from "The Twenty Minute VC" podcast featuring Cognition founder Scott Wu, who said, "There's an unspoken covenant that as a founder, you go down with the ship." "And I think that, for better or worse, it's changed a bit over the last year, and I think it's a bit disappointing to be honest," Wu said. One X user suggested Khosla's response was hypocritical, prompting him to expand further on Sunday. "Absolutely not hypocritical about it. I would not work with the WeWork founder either! Working without trust is a sure way to be unhappy," Khosla said on X. "I honestly asked myself if I made $1b on this 'deal', would I accept it and be quiet or fight for the rest of the team? Or give part of my money to the rest of the team? Hard to say without being in the situation but I feel I'd definitely fight for those left behind," he added. Khosla, Mohan, and Chen did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Wang, who previously served as head of business at Windsurf, recounted on X on Saturday his experience informing the Windsurf staff that not only had the OpenAI deal fallen through, but its two cofounders had left. "The mood was very bleak," Wang wrote. "Some people were upset about financial outcomes or colleagues leaving, while others were worried about the future. A few were in tears."
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Vinod Khosla says Windsurf's founders abandoned their team: 'I definitely would not work with their founders next time'
The founders of Windsurf, the now much talked about AI startup, are having a roller coaster couple of weeks. Varun Mohan and Douglas Chen nearly struck a deal to sell the company to OpenAI for $3 billion before it suddenly fell through. Then, the two decamped to Google DeepMind, leaving the rest of the company scrambling. Windsurf's remaining executives struck a deal with another AI startup, Cognition, the following weekend, which its new CEO, Jeff Wang, described as "crazy." Now, legendary venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has weighed in on the drama, criticizing the founders' decision to leave. Khosla Ventures is an investor in Cognition. "Windsurf and others are really bad examples of founders leaving their teams behind and not even sharing the proceeds with their team," Khosla said in an X post. "I definitely would not work with their founders next time." Khosla's remarks were in response to a clip from "The Twenty Minute VC" podcast featuring Cognition founder Scott Wu, who said, "There's an unspoken covenant that as a founder, you go down with the ship." "And I think that, for better or worse, it's changed a bit over the last year, and I think it's a bit disappointing to be honest," Wu said. One X user suggested Khosla's response was hypocritical, prompting him to expand further on Sunday. "Absolutely not hypocritical about it. I would not work with the WeWork founder either! Working without trust is a sure way to be unhappy," Khosla said on X. "I honestly asked myself if I made $1b on this 'deal', would I accept it and be quiet or fight for the rest of the team? Or give part of my money to the rest of the team? Hard to say without being in the situation but I feel I'd definitely fight for those left behind," he added. Khosla, Mohan, and Chen did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Wang, who previously served as head of business at Windsurf, recounted on X on Saturday his experience informing the Windsurf staff that not only had the OpenAI deal fallen through, but its two cofounders had left. "The mood was very bleak," Wang wrote. "Some people were upset about financial outcomes or colleagues leaving, while others were worried about the future. A few were in tears." Still, Wang praised Mohan and Chen. He said they were "great founders and this company meant a lot to them, and it should be acknowledged that this whole situation must have been difficult for them as well."
India Today
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Raj Khosla's new biography
When author Amborish Roychoudhury started writing Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography, he discovered that people around him didn't know much about Khosla's contributions to Hindi cinema. Only when he posted some iconic songs from his films like C.I.D. (1956), Woh Kaun Thi (1964) and Dostana (1980) did they recognise his works. This is why this book, co-written by Khosla's daughters, Anita Khosla and Uma Khosla Kapur, is important.
