Guwahati, May 21: The Assam government has urged the National Testing Agency (NTA) to set up additional examination centres for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) in Silchar so as to enable students from the three Barak Valley districts to take the test without any long-distance travel hassles.
“The Assam government has taken up the issue of CUET exam centres in Barak Valley for Bengali and EVS (Environmental Science/Studies) subjects. The education department has written a letter to NTA, and I have personally spoken to the Director General S K Singh. NTA assured me of a solution soon,” Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu said.
In a letter to the NTA director general on Monday, Pegu stated that the “current arrangement of exam centres for Bengali and EVS at Agartala (Tripura), Shillong (Meghalaya) and Guwahati is posing a significant challenge for our students. The distance and logistical complexities involved in travelling to these distant places are causing them immense stress and anxiety.”
“Therefore, I request that you hold the exam for Bengali and EVS in Silchar, like other subjects. I hope you will take necessary action in this regard as soon as possible,” Pegu wrote to the NTA director general.
Notably, all colleges in the three Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi are affiliated to Assam University, located in Silchar (Cachar), which is a central university. Currently, there is only one centre for the CUET exam in Silchar.