TURA/SHILLONG, April 23: The state government has been urged to set up a university for the state of Meghalaya instead of trying to enforce Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for the sake of students and their careers.
The suggestions were made on Saturday by MDC from Rongrong in North Garo Hills (NGH), Rinaldo K Sangma, through a letter to the Education Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui, wherein he highlighted the problems that would come to the fore if CUET was enforced.
The biggest challenge, he felt, was the lack of infrastructure for online exams asking as to how many computers did the centres of Tura, Shillong, Guwahati or the newly set up centre at Ri-Bhoi have.
“In NGH alone, there are over a thousand students per session clearing the HSSLC examination. Considering these centres offer 50 computers per batch, it would just cater to 400 students in both the morning and afternoon batches. How many days will it take for Garo Hills and how many for the entire state? Would the students be able to afford to travel and appear for the examinations at these centres at their own expenses,” he asked.
The solution, Rinaldo felt, was in the establishment of a university for the state of Meghalaya.
“Assam already has two state private universities included in the UGC Act 1956 — Assam Don Bosco University and Assam Down Town University — with colleges in every nook and corner of Assam affiliated under these universities. At present Meghalaya has about nine private universities recognized under the consolidated list in the UGC Act. But almost all our colleges are affiliated to North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and to none of these private universities,” he stated,
The MDC felt it would be historic if the government through a legislative Bill resolves to provincialise one of these private universities under its administrative arm.
Rinaldo asserted that not everyone wanted to go through professional courses through NEET, JEE or CLAT; some want to opt for simple general courses and become teachers. “This CUET will prove to be a near impossible obstacle and hindrance for our young students aspiring to aim for higher academics especially those coming from weaker sections and rural areas,” he added.
‘Set up CUET centres in Jowai’
The Jaintia Students Movement (JSM) Central Body has urged the state government to take up setting up of examination centres for CUET in Jowai, West Jaintia Hills, with the central government for the students of Jaintia Hills region.
Stating that the Union government has decided to conduct CUET UG 2022 for admission to all undergraduate courses in all central universities and affiliated colleges from the academic session 2022-23, JSM president Leningstar Rymbai appealed to all students, who appeared their Class XII examination this year, to enrol themselves for CEUT.
He also called upon all heads of higher secondary schools and colleges to push their students to enroll for CEUT.
Rymbai also urged the Deputy Commissioner of West and East Jaintia Hills to facilitate enrolment of students for CEUT through the NIC cell.
