Many students allotted centres in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, etc.
Shillong, May 11: Chief minister Conrad K Sangma has urged the Centre to review and reallocate Common University Entrance Test (CUET)(UG) 2025 centres for Meghaaya students within the state.
According to him, a large number of students who had opted for centres within Meghalaya – particularly in Shillong – have been allotted centres in distant locations such as Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Mizoram, Nagaland and even Kolkata.
In a letter to union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Sangma requested him to issue necessary directive to the National Testing Agency (NTA) to reallocate the CUET centres for Meghalaya students.
He also urged the minister to consider postponing or deferring the examination for Meghalaya students this year till adequate and accessible infrastructure is ready for holding the CUET.
The conduct of CUET as well as lack of examination centres within the state have caused considerable anxiety among students and their parents across the state, the chief minister said.
The allocation of CUET centres outside the state has placed an undue burden on many students, especially those from financially constrained backgrounds, who are now compelled to bear significant travel and accommodation costs, Sangma pointed out.
“In many cases, these costs are beyond their means,” he said adding that the resulting distress has not only disrupted the academic preparation of these students but has also led to a growing apprehension that some may be forced to forgo the examination altogether.
This situation has emerged despite repeated appeals and past assurances regarding the availability of sufficient centres within the state, he said.
Highlighting the state government’s consistent support to the NTA in identifying potential examination centres and offering all administrative cooperation, he said, “We have also constituted a state level committee, along with district level committee, to facilitate the smooth conduct of NTA examinations within the state. Despite these efforts, the present allocation scenario remains a cause of distress.”
