Voice of the People Party (VPP) leader and Nongkrem MLA Ardent M Basaiawmoit today said that the state government is “reactive” rather than being “proactive” in relation to the issues faced by students of Meghalaya in the conduct of the Common University Entrance Test – Undergraduate (CUET-UG) examination.
Basaiawmoit said that it is the third year in succession where students of the state are facing the inadequate availability of test centres within Meghalaya. Many students have been allotted centres in different parts of the North East and even Kolkata, adding to the amount of time, cost and stress in sitting for the test.
“Our government is not doing anything to ease the difficulties of our students. They wait until our children face such anxious situations,” the VPP legislator said.
Basaiawmoit said that the opposition party has taken up the issue with the government, with the women’s wing of the party meeting the Education Minister and submitting a memorandum to him.
The Meghalaya government has managed to secure exemptions for Meghalaya students from the CUET when it comes to local colleges affiliated to the lone central university here, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU). However, this exemption does not apply for students wishing to study in colleges outside Meghalaya.
The problem is that Meghalaya reportedly does not have enough centres with the requisite level of computer infrastructure to accommodate the students.
Basaiawmoit added that the state government is taking the matter lightly and it should have anticipated that this issue will crop up again this year and should have come up with a permanent solution. “The arrangement shouldn’t have been temporary. They should be ready for next year. So that doubts do not crop up in the minds of the students and their parents,” he said.
