By Vishu Adhana

New Delhi [India], May 13 (ANI): Exiting exam centres with weary smiles, students hurried towards their parents, who greeted them with warm hugs and bottles of water after the first day of the Common University Entrance Test for Undergraduate Admissions (CUET UG).

While fatigue showed on their faces, many students called the paper 'easy' and largely expected, striking a tone of cautious optimism as the nationwide entrance began.

The first day of CUET was largely smooth except for a few students who were denied entry to the exam centre for arriving a few minutes after the reporting time.

Students appeared for subjects including English, Business Studies, Physical Education, Accounts, and Biotechnology, sharing largely positive but varied reactions to the paper.

'The English paper was much easier than I expected,' said a candidate who completed the exam well before the allotted time. 'I had prepared for more analytical or inference-based questions, but most of them were direct and familiar.'

Students across the centre echoed similar feedback, stating that the English section followed a straightforward pattern.

The CUET enables admissions into undergraduate programs at over 250 central, state, and private universities, including top institutions like Delhi University, JNU, and BHU.

For others, particularly those attempting domain subjects, the experience was slightly more mixed. 'Business Studies went very well for me. The questions were concept-based, and nothing felt out of syllabus,' said Sushil Rajeevan, a candidate who also appeared for Physical Education. 'That paper was a little more challenging, mainly because it's my sixth subject. It needed more specific recall and time management.'

He added, 'The MCQ format helped in some parts, but in sections where careful reading was needed, time was still tight.' Sushil is aiming for Delhi University's SRCC and said he felt confident about his performance so far.

The CUET UG exam structure allows candidates to choose up to six domain-specific subjects, two language papers, and an optional general test.

Each section is one hour long and held in multiple shifts across thousands of centres nationwide.

While English was universally described as 'easy,' students acknowledged that domain subjects demanded deeper understanding and quick thinking, particularly under time constraints. With more subjects scheduled over the coming days, many students are hopeful but cautious.

'This was a good start, but the next few papers will be crucial,' one student said. 'The real test will be consistency.'

Despite concerns about technical glitches in previous editions, Day 1 proceeded without any major disruptions at the centres in Delhi and NCR.

However, some students missed their exam on the first day at the centre in Noida Sector 62 after being denied entry for arriving just minutes past the reporting time.

Candidates and their parents stood outside the gates, pleading with officials for over half an hour, citing reasons such as traffic diversions, delayed public transport, and incorrect directions -- issues many said were beyond their control.

Several aspirants, including those from Bulandshahr, Bahadurgarh, and Etah, reported being allotted centres far from their home cities despite selecting nearby preferences during registration.

'I left home at 4 AM thinking I'd arrive on time, but everything went wrong -- the bus was late, and the auto dropped me at the wrong place,' said 17-year-old Anmol Bhati.

Parents have now urged the NTA to consider rescheduling missed exams and ensure better logistical planning for future shifts. (ANI)