‘After CM’s intervention, NTA team to inspect new exam facilities in state
Shillong, May 12: The state government has expressed hope that the National Testing Agency (NTA) will defer the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) for Meghalaya students, who have been allocated examination centres in other states.
“I am sure for those students, who are having exams after this week, the exams will be deferred and relocated as assured by the NTA. For tomorrow, some students have already left for centres which are nearby,” education minister Rakkam A Sangma told reporters on Monday.
He also informed that the state government wrote a letter to NTA on Monday, requesting it to defer the exam for the state’s students, who have been allocated examination centres in far off locations.
Referring to exams scheduled in far-off locations such as Jharkhand on May 19, he said, “I think we can sort it out. I mean, we expect (cases of) students who are allotted centres in far-off locations will be addressed.”
Meanwhile, the education department has been instructed to contact the affected students.
The NTA had earlier communicated to the state government to identify more exam centres with 200 additional computers to facilitate the test for Meghalaya students within the state.
Accordingly, the authorities identified the required infrastructure, which will be inspected by a team of NTA on Tuesday, he said.
“NTA team will come tomorrow to inspect on whether they (proposed centres) fulfill the criteria or not,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said the NTA was apprised of the need to appoint a full-fledged nodal officer in the state.
“NTA should have informed the state government properly on time so that we can take measures so that students do not face any problems,” he said adding, “However after being informed about the issue, the chief minister had also met union education minister and we are on the job (to resolve the issue).”
Also, the education minister said the problem has arisen in Meghalaya because of NTA’s failure to communicate with the state government on time.
“They (NTA) communicated one day or two days before the scheduled exams. The examination will start from tomorrow and some of the students have already left for the different locations. So we cannot do anything on that. However after taking up the matter with the union education minister by the chief minister in Delhi yesterday, the NTA contacted the state government for identifying more centres and we are on the job.”
On the reason behind not finding a permanent solution to this issue, Sangma said, “This is because it is not the state government’s decision. Therefore, we have established a state university. Colleges affiliated to the state university do not require to undergo CUET examination for admission.”
According to him, the process of college affiliation to the state university is going on.
Asked if NTA has undermined the state government on the matter, the minister said, “It is not like that. It is clear that those colleges affiliated to central universities have to undergo CUET.”
