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Less CUET centres in J&K: Testing agency’s centre allocation in Punjab irks Ramban candidates
Candidates from Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir are distressed as the National Testing Agency (NTA) has directed them to appear for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) on June 8 at Jalandhar in Punjab and other cities outside J&K. Last month, the CUET exams of J&K candidates were postponed following assurances by the lieutenant governor that they will be conducted within the union territory. Some candidates have appealed to the LG to take up their matter with the Centre on priority. The J&K Congress has criticized the CUET pattern and demanded that NTA allot centres to J&K students within their own districts or adjoining districts.
Several aspirants of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) undergraduate exams, which includes candidates from Ramban district in are distressed as National Testing Agency (NTA) has directed them to appear for the exams on June 8 at Jalandhar in Punjab and other cities outside J&K.
Jalandhar is over 300 kms from Ramban and it takes nearly eight hours to reach there.
Last month, CUET exams of candidates from J&K were postponed following assurances by the lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha that they will be conducted within the union territory. Sinha, on May 20, had a telephonic conversation with union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to discuss the issue. “Discussed the matter relating to exam centres for the scheduled Common University Entrance Test (CUET) with Hon’ble Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Ji and requested him for CUET centres in J&K UT. He has assured the issue will be addressed on priority,” the LG had tweeted.
Candidates from J&K had been demanding establishment of a centre for the examination in the Union Territory.
Next day, the CUET-UG was deferred to May 26 in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure that candidates do not have to appear for the examination at centres outside the union territory, NTA had said.
Some of the female candidates from Ramban, who showed their admit cards, said they belong to poor families and their parents cannot afford to travel outside. They said that NTA’s admit cards directing them to appear in Punjab has left distressed and their parents worried.
Some of the female aspirants informed that CUET-UG exams were the only hope for them as their parents can’t afford to send them to private and deemed universities on donations to pursue their higher studies. The distraught candidates have yet again appealed the LG to take up their matter with the Centre on priority.
Director of colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Yasmeen Ashai said, “Nothing can be done at this moment. We requested NTA authorities several times.” Meanwhile, J&K Congress (JKPCC) has said that by opting for the CUET pattern, J&K UT administration has pushed the youth into great hardships and great competition.
Talking to media persons here, JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said, “Why J&K UT opted for CUET immediately without giving at least a time period of two years to the students to prepare for the new pattern of CUET. Earlier admissions to Jammu University and Kashmir University were given on the basis of merit in the entrance test Jammu University Entrance Test (JUET) and Kashmir University Entrance Test (KUET) but this year, all of sudden this pattern of CUET was adopted without affording one or two years to the aspiring students to prepare themselves for the new pattern”.
“As a result of this, the present mess is being witnessed and poor students and their parents are facing economic hardships and lack of proper information. The hue and cry had led to the postponement of CUET from May 21 to May 26 and it was assured that the students shall be allotted centres within J&K. Now again centres are being allotted outside J&K,” he said.
Secondly, outside candidates are eligible to apply and compete for their respective states and our poor candidates are facing lot competition and will be deprived of UG and PG admissions especially in Jammu region, he added. Sharma demanded that NTA should allot centres to the J&K students within their own districts or adjoining districts.
