CUET 2024: Meghalaya and Nagaland students exempted
Admission to the affiliated college of a central university in the state is exempted for the academic session 2024-2025. The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Meghalaya and Nagaland University in Nagaland central university for two states.
The central government has exempted the two states Meghalaya and Nagaland from the common university entrance test (CUET) for the academic year 2024 -2025 as the North Eastern Hill University is the Centre for these two states.
The state government’s petition was submitted to the National testing Agency (NTA) which had conducted CUET for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses at the central universities in Meghalaya and Nagaland. A letter from Gopal Kumar, under the education ministry, stated: “I am directed to inform that the university grant commission has already considered the request received from the state of Meghalaya and Nagaland through NTA which allowed affiliated colleges to take admission as per the prevailing practice by giving exemption from CUET for academic session 2024-2025”. The letter was issued by both the universities in the state.
The Central University Entrance Test (CUET) creates a roadblock for the students seeking admission to undergraduate courses, which started on May 15, 2024. The Meghalaya state Education Minister, Rakkam A. Sangma, stated that the state government has withdrawn from the CUET examination and asked NTA to either re-conduct the exam or exempt the test from both states.
The UGC has made the decision, and the Ministry of Education has agreed to allow admissions in the affiliated colleges of the central universities in Meghalaya and Nagaland without requiring CUET for the 2024-2025 session. CM Conrad wrote on his social media, "Happy to inform our students that admission to affiliated colleges of the central university in Meghalaya has been exempted from CUET for 2024-2025."
Meghalaya and Nagaland have opted out of the CUET requirement for college admissions, citing their unique educational landscapes and the need to preserve their respective examination systems.
Instead of CUET, students in Meghalaya and Nagaland may need to fulfill the admission criteria set by their state boards or respective universities, which could include performance in state-specific entrance exams or other qualifying assessments.
The exemption from CUET streamlines the college admission process for students in Meghalaya and Nagaland, as they can focus on meeting the specific requirements of their state boards or universities without the additional burden of a national-level entrance exam.
The decision to opt out of CUET may have been influenced by factors such as the desire to uphold the autonomy of state education systems, preserve local examination traditions, and ensure that college admissions align with the unique needs and priorities of each state.
Students from Meghalaya and Nagaland who wish to pursue higher education outside their states may need to familiarize themselves with the admission requirements of colleges and universities in other regions, which could include participation in national-level entrance exams like CUET, depending on the institution's policies.
