DU, BHU & Central Universities Admission Reforms 2025 — What’s New for CUET, Cutoffs & Reservation

1. Introduction

In 2025, major central universities like Delhi University (DU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and JNU have further aligned their undergraduate admissions with CUET-UG, consolidating the test’s role as the primary gateway.
Several policy changes this year: tie-breaker rule in DU, unified allotment portals, revised reservation norms, and new allotment systems.
This article breaks down the key changes, how they impact aspirants, and links to all relevant official documents.

For 2025–26, DU, BHU, and many other central universities admit students based entirely on CUET-UG scores.
DU’s Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS-UG 2025) explicitly uses CUET-UG for all its undergraduate admissions.
BHU has implemented a “Combined Allotment Program (CAP-UG)” tied to CUET-UG.

One of the biggest shifts: DU will now use Class 10 board marks as a tie-breaker, instead of relying on Class 12 board marks or other criteria.
This is significant for high-competition courses where many students score similarly in CUET.

DU’s CSAS-UG 2025 includes reservation for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, and EWS, along with supernumerary quotas for PwBD, children/widows of armed forces, sports quota, and more.
According to a Times of India summary: SC (15%), ST (7.5%), OBC-NCL (27%), EWS (10%) in DU.
At JNU, reservation follows the government norms (e.g., SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, PWD) as per its admission policy.

JNU’s Admission Policy 2025-26 clarifies that CUET (CBT mode) is used for UG, COP, and some specialized programs. Jawaharlal Nehru University
The JNU e-Prospectus 2025-26 for UG & COP lists the programs that require CUET, eligibility criteria, and details on “deprivation points.”
Deprivation points are used as an additional metric in JNU’s merit determination.

DU CSAS-UG portal: Applicants must register via the CSAS portal for seat allocation. Admission UOD
BHU CAP-UG: Candidates use their CUET application number + date of birth to register on BHU’s portal. Banaras Hindu University
JNU: Admissions through CUET involve separate application after CUET result.
Counselling for these universities begins post CUET-UG result; for instance, DU’s first allocation round was around July/August 2025.

University	Basis of Admission (2025)	Minimum Eligibility	Notes / Highlights
Delhi University (DU)	CUET-UG + CSAS-UG	Eligibility as per DU’s UG BOI	Tie-breaker: 10th board marks.
BHU	CUET-UG + CAP-UG	≥50% in 10+2 for most general category courses (45% for OBC, 40% for SC/ST)	Use BHU’s Combined Allotment Program.
JNU	CUET-UG (CBT)	As per JNU’s admission policy and prospectus	Some programs use “deprivation points” for tie-breaking.

According to seat-matrix estimates, DU, BHU, and JNU together take a large chunk of CUET seats; reservation percentages follow national norms.
For BHU, detailed program-wise eligibility is available in their CUET-Program Eligibility PDF. Banaras Hindu University

CUET-UG 2025: Conducted by NTA (CBT mode).
Result Declaration: CUET-UG results were declared (for example, early July 2025).
University Application Portals Open:
DU (CSAS-UG): Via its portal. Admission UOD
BHU (CAP-UG): Through BHU’s Samarth e-Gov portal. bhucuet.samarth.edu.in
JNU: Through JNU’s admission portal (after CUET result). Jawaharlal Nehru University
Seat Allotment / Counselling: Multiple rounds; document verification, fee payment, and seat acceptance required.
Mid-Entry / Mop-up Rounds: DU announced a “mid-entry” window in August 2025 for leftover seats.

More Merit-Based: With CUET being central, admissions lean more on uniform testing rather than disparate board marks.
Lower Tie-Breaker Anxiety: Using Class 10 marks might benefit students whose Class 12 board scores are lower or from different boards.
Transparency: Common portals like DU’s CSAS and BHU’s CAP make the admission process more organized.
Reservation Affirmed: Reserved categories continue to get quota; plus, supernumerary categories increase equity.
Increased Competition: Since admissions rely heavily on CUET, students need strong performance in the test.

Scams & Fake Messages: BHU has issued warnings about fraudulent WhatsApp messages about admissions.
Seat Saturation: Even with many aspirants, some courses (or colleges) may remain overfilled or underfilled, leading to complex seat-allotment rounds.
Tie-Breaker Sensitivity: Minor differences in Class 10 scores might now have big admission impacts.
Document Verification Pressure: Given the increased digital allotment, verifying caste / reservation / eligibility documents on time is critical.

DU CSAS-UG Admission Portal: ugadmission.uod.ac.in
DU UG Bulletin of Information (2025-26): PDF with eligibility, tie-breaker rules, seat matrix.
BHU CUET UG Admission Portal: BHU Samarth e-Gov bhucuet.samarth.edu.in
BHU UG Information Bulletin (2025): Includes eligibility, allotment details. Banaras Hindu University
BHU CAP-UG 2025 PDF (Allotment program)
BHU CUET Eligibility Criteria PDF: Program-wise minimum marks, reservation.
JNU Admission Policy 2025-26: PDF from JNU website. Jawaharlal Nehru University
JNU e-Prospectus 2025-26 (UG & COP): Lists CUET-based courses, eligibility.

The 2025 admission cycle marks greater centralization and transparency: CUET-UG is now the backbone of admissions for top central universities.
Students need to be strategic: perform strongly in CUET, be aware of tie-breaker rules, and apply on the right portals.
For aspirants from reserved or special categories, it’s more important than ever to understand how seat quotas and deprivation points work.
Going forward, this model could further solidify CUET as the standard national-level exam for central universities.

Sources