The Ministry of Education today issued a directive to vice-chancellors (VCs) of public universities to continue the cluster system for admission to their institutes.

In the directive, the Ministry’s Secondary and Higher Education Division has asked venture capital firms to ensure that their respective universities remain part of the cluster admission system.

The notice said that the cluster system was introduced in 2020 in general, science and technology, agricultural, engineering and technology universities for the effective development and management of higher education. The main objective of this initiative was to reduce the financial and mental burden of students, save time during the admission process and ensure a merit-based, transparent and coordinated student selection system.

The notice says the system has already earned public trust as a student-friendly initiative. This system has significantly reduced travel, accommodation and other costs for students who would otherwise have to appear for separate tests for admission to separate universities.

Additionally, the unified system ensures merit-based admission through a standardized questionnaire and has reduced parents’ concerns about handling multiple admission exams.

The notice added: “During the academic year 2023-2024, 24 universities conducted their admissions through the cluster system. However, recently it has been observed that some universities are considering organizing their admission processes independently. will place additional financial and mental strain on students and their parents, thereby creating a negative perception of educational administration.

On December 1, the educational advisor sent a letter asking VCs of universities affiliated to the cluster to follow the unified admission system. Subsequently, on December 10, the ministry issued another letter calling for the continuation of the cluster admission process.