Shillong, April 29: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said the Centre is yet to respond to the state government’s plea for exemption to conduct the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) this year in the absence 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 National Testing Agency (NTA) can exempt the state at least for this year but till date there is no response on this regard,” Rymbui told reporters on Friday.
He pointed out that since March 24, many of the villages in rural areas of the state have not been 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 Meghalaya, which is a single university state and that also a central university where all the colleges are affiliated,” he said.
Rymbui said a delegation of the Khasi Students Union and other organisations have met him regarding the problem and he had explained to them the steps taken by the government and what steps the government will take in the future to ease as much as possible the inconveniences faced by the students.
HNYF and HITO had also sought clarity from the Centre and UGC regarding various aspects of CUET.
While the process for applying for CUET has already started, the minister expressed happiness that all the colleges have responded to the need of the hour and held meetings with the principals of the various schools on the issue to facilitate the students to apply for the CUET.
Rymbui said the NTA had given verbal assurance to the 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 for 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 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 said.
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 or she will surely get into that institution by not even having to travel to that university or to spend time for multiple tests,” he said.
Answweing a query as to what will be the fate of students who cannot clear the CUET, Rymbui said, “There is no pass mark but they need to score only the percentage and based on that different colleges will set different benchmarks 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.”
In response to 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.
“In the NEP there is a provision that many of the institutions can be autonomous institutions if they are recognised by the UGC as autonomous institutions, I hope that problem will also solve to some extent,” he said.
