Amid the confusion caused by the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) on parents and students and the inability of the Meghalaya government to convince the University Grants Commission (UGC) to postpone the test at least for this year, the Hynñiewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) has today urged the UGC to reconsider its decision on holding the test.
In a letter to UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, the HNYF said that CUET is an experimental venture on the part of UGC which is playing with the future of students wanting to enroll in different under-graduate courses in different colleges all over the country as well as in the State of Meghalaya.
“Students might have scored a decent percentage in Class XII and what if they could not get through CUET, there is no clarity on the part of UGC whether such students can be admitted in under-graduate courses. Secondly, looking at the volume of Class XII or HSSLC passed out students on an annual basis it cannot be established that all students will be in a position to clear CUET exams. Does this directive of UGC imply that such students will be denied the right to higher education just because they failed to clear CUET? There are many such students who simply want to have a degree certificate without any professional courses which might open their opportunities for various competitive exams. Is UGC denying a right to them? HNYF asked.
The HNYF also said that since CUET is a computer based test, it will be a huge challenge for local students since a large percentage of Meghalaya which is in rural areas did not have internet connectivity.
“Hence, in the interest of the larger sections of student community in remote part of India in general and Meghalaya in particular we would appeal to the UGC, being an institutions to guide the nation in education, to reconsider its decision on this matter and to have a review on the pros and cons of this agenda of single window agency in all matters of education,” the organisation said.
“And if no clarity can be established on the fate of students, as stated above, who cannot clear CUET, it can be concluded that UGC is playing with the higher educational scenario of the country, UGC is converting the students community into guinea pigs, or this is the daylight robbery in the form of fees ranging from Rs 800 to Rs 400 from amongst the crore of students clearing their Class 12 exams all over the country on an annual basis,” the HNYF added.
