Recruitment age limit: Party calls for accountability, expert review
SHILLONG, May 21: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has cast aspersions on the handling of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) authorities, while emphasising the need for strict action due to the lack of adequate preparation for this crucial change.
UDP vice president Allantry F Dkhar highlighted several issues, including the delayed conclusion of exams, which ended at 9:30 pm. “Such a major change, and the NTA along with the University authorities did not prepare well. Many issues felt wanting. This calls for serious action on the part of the authorities who oversee CUET,” Dkhar stated.
Dkhar stressed the importance of pressuring the appropriate authorities to prevent a recurrence of such issues in the future. He noted that CUET is conducted by the NTA, appointed by the central government, with the state government playing only an advisory role. He urged both the state government and university authorities to handle the matter professionally.
“If things go like this in the very first attempt, it does not augur well for the youth of our state who want to pursue further studies,” Dkhar added.
Addressing calls for exempting the state from CUET, he acknowledged the concerns but deferred to the statements made by the Chief Minister and the Education Minister, expressing hope for leniencies for affected students.
When questioned about law and order, Dkhar expressed optimism, aligning with the current DGP, Idashisha Nongrang’s outlook for improvements under her leadership.
Recruitment age limit dispute
The UDP also addressed the contentious issue of upper age limits for police recruitment, suggesting that such matters should be left to experts.
“In organisations like the police, where physical health and well-being are of utmost importance, it would be best left to the experts to decide,” Dkhar stated.
He recalled a previous proposal by the UDP to extend the upper-age limit for general employment to 37 years, to benefit youth who missed opportunities due to the previous age limits. However, he emphasised that specialised skills should not be constrained by these limits.
It may be mentioned that a group led by activist Barilang Pyngrope is advocating for aligning the police recruitment age limits with the Office Memorandum of 2022, which extended eligibility from 27 to 32 years, and for Scheduled Tribes, from 32 to 37 years. The recent police recruitment advertisement set different guidelines, prompting the group to file a writ petition.
The High Court of Meghalaya has issued notices to the state government and other authorities to address these alleged irregularities.
The UDP is pushing for accountability and expert input to ensure fair and professional handling of both the CUET and police recruitment processes.