Centre yet to respond to Meghalaya’s request for exemption from CUET: Rymbui

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 29, 2022

The Central government is yet to respond to Meghalaya’s request for exemption to conduct the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) this year due to lack of digital infrastructure in the state.  

“We have communicated with the Central government regarding the digital infrastructure for conducting this test is not available in all parts of the state and if the UGC and NTA (can exempt the state) at least for this year but till date there is no response on this regard,” Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui told reporters on Friday.

He said since March 24, many of the villages in rural areas of the state are not getting electricity due to cyclonic storms leading to problems with network connectivity.

“I hope the Chief Minister will meet the Union Minister of Education and officials of the ministry to highlight the constraints faced by the state of Meghalaya, which is a single university state and that also a central university where all the colleges are being affiliated,” he said.

Understanding the concern of the students as well as the NGOs, Rymbui said that a delegation of the Khasi Students Union and other organizations have been met him regarding the problem and “I have explain to them the step taken by the government and what steps we will take in the future to ease as much as possible the inconveniences faced by the students in this regard.”

Informing that the process of applying for CUET has already started, the minister however expressed happiness that all the colleges have responded to the need of the hour where they hold meetings with the principals of the various schools on the issue and to facilitate the students to apply for the CUET. 

Rymbui informed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) had given verbal assurance to the state’s Additional Chief Secretary in-charge Education that CUET centres will be set up in all the districts of Meghalaya during a meeting held in New Delhi on April 20.

“In East Khasi Hills, two centres will be set up in which one will be in Qualapatty, Shillong while the other as of now there is no clarity. They have decided to arrange different timings in case there is a rush in any particular centre,” he said.

The minister also admitted that the majority of the students are not prepared as the announcement for implementing the CUET was made in the midst of their examination and that the test will be based on NCERT textbooks. “Therefore, psychological preparedness is very important for students to be successful,” he asserted.

Further, Rymbui said the CUET will be quite beneficial for quite a number of students as they no longer need to apply for multiple entrance exams all over the country. “If students meet the criteria of a particular institution, he will surely get into that institution by not even having to travel to that university or to spend his time for multiple tests,” he added.

To a question as to what will be the fate of students who could not clear the CUET, Rymbui said, “There is no pass mark but they need to score only the percentile and based on that the different college will set the different benchmark for admission into their own institutions so the question of fail does not arise but it is just to get the college of your choice you have to meet the criteria set up by that institution.”

On the KSU’s demand for setting up of a state university, the minister said the government had already passed an Act since 2011 regarding the Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University but till date it is yet to be fully functional.

“The plan of the government was to see how to address taking into consideration that these new norms of National Education Policy (NEP) are being implemented in the state.

Having said that, you have also seen in the NEP there is a provision that many of the institutions can be the autonomous institutions so if they are recognized by the UGC as autonomous institutions I hope that problem will also solve to some extent,” he said adding “But the government always plan for the long term that we should have this university of our own not only to solve this problem but also to solve if there are any other issues arise where there is issue between the state government and the central government but as of now we have no other choice as NEHU is a central university.”