Colleges in Meghalaya likely to be exempted from CUET ambit

Guwahati, May 2: All the state government-aided colleges as well as private colleges in Meghalaya which are affiliated to North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), a central university, are likely to be exempted from the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) while enrolling students for under-graduate programmes.

An assurance in this regard has been given by the Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma when the latter called on him in New Delhi today.

Besides students from Meghalaya, a large number of students from other N-E states including Assam take admission into reputed colleges in Shillong to pursue undergraduate programmes.

There has been ripples of adverse reactions and apprehension amongst the students in Meghalaya in the wake of NEHU which has campuses in Shillong and Tura, deciding that it would adopt CUET for admission into undergraduate courses in the colleges affiliated to the varsity including those from Meghalaya.

The University Grant Commission (UGC) this year will conduct CUET in July for students’ enrolment in undergraduate courses in all the central universities in the country. The UGC has also suggested state govt-aided and private varsities across the country to consider CUET score of students while admitting them to undergraduate programmes, though it would not be mandatory for these institutions to adopt CUET. The CUET will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The Meghalaya CM, Conrad Sangma informed the media that students studying in private colleges and state government –aided colleges across Meghalaya will, in all likelihood, not be required to appear for the CUET to get admission into undergraduate programmes.

Sangma said informed it following his meeting with the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi today.

“When I expressed the concerns of the students and colleges, the Union Education Minister understood the problem and a positive response came from him where they have agreed that there will be certain areas in which they will try to exempt. Some of our colleges which are not necessarily centrally-funded but privately or aided through the state government, will not have to appear for the CUET,” Sangma said.
Meghalaya government expects the official communication from the Centre in this regard in a day or two.