Central universities can conduct their own entrance exams or admit students on the basis of marks in the qualifying exam if seats remain vacant in undergraduate and postgraduate courses after admissions through Common University Entrance Test (CUET), the University Grants Commission (UGC) announced on Thursday.

Keeping the seats vacant for an entire academic year is not only a waste of resources but also results in denial of quality higher education to many students who aspire to pursue higher studies in central universities, it said.