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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and Managing Director K Krithivasan on Saturday attributed the disruption in the CUET-UG 2026 examination to a brief technical issue, assuring candidates that the problem was quickly identified and resolved without affecting the integrity of the test.
In a statement issued after reports of delays at several examination centres, Krithivasan said the glitch caused the morning shift of the computer-based exam to start nearly two hours late.
“A brief technical issue caused a delay of around two hours in the CUET-UG examination in the morning shift today. The issue was promptly identified and resolved by our technical teams and the examination has since resumed without any impact to the sanctity of the exam,” he said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG), also confirmed that the disruption stemmed from a technical problem reported by TCS, the agency responsible for managing the examination’s technology infrastructure.
According to the NTA, the issue was resolved during the day and steps were taken to ensure that no candidate suffered any disadvantage because of the delay.
As a result, the afternoon session of the examination was rescheduled. Candidates were asked to report at 2:30 pm, while the examination began at 4:00 pm instead of the originally scheduled 3:00 pm.
The NTA said all affected candidates were provided full compensatory time, while students appearing in the morning shift were allowed to complete the entire duration of their examination before leaving the centres.
“TCS has reported that a technical glitch at their end delayed the commencement of CUET UG 2026 at some centres on Saturday. The issue has since been resolved, and the exam is being conducted with full compensatory time so that no candidate is disadvantaged,” the agency said in a post on X.
Krithivasan said TCS teams continue to closely monitor the examination systems to ensure smooth conduct of the remaining sessions.
“Our teams are actively monitoring all systems. We remain committed to working closely with NTA to ensure seamless conduct of the computer-based tests,” he added.
The CUET-UG examination is one of India’s largest entrance tests for undergraduate admissions, with lakhs of students appearing across the country each year. The brief disruption triggered concern among candidates and parents, though authorities have maintained that the delay will not affect the fairness or credibility of the examination process.
