Meghalaya: Voice of the People Party demands state government to scrap CUET exam

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has called on the state government to abandon the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admissions and instead base them on Class 12 examination results. This demand follows what the VPP describes as a disastrous handling of the CUET at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on May 15, highlighting a lack of preparedness and responsibility from the National Testing Agency, the state government, and the NEHU administration.

In a statement issued on May 16, Dr Rusievan Shangpliang, VPP leader and member of the Media Cell, expressed regret over the ordeal faced by students. The chaotic administration of the CUET forced students to wait nearly three hours beyond the scheduled time to begin their exams, causing significant stress that may have impacted their performance.

Shangpliang emphasised that the VPP had previously warned the state government about potential issues with the CUET, both inside and outside the Assembly. Despite these warnings, he criticised the state government and the education minister for their apparent indifference, accusing them of prioritising political interests over student welfare.

The VPP also pointed out that college principals had not received proper instructions from either the state government or NEHU regarding CUET implementation. This lack of communication further complicated the situation, with many students from rural areas failing to register for CUET due to a lack of awareness, information, and guidance.

Given these issues, the VPP insisted that NEHU and the state government should discontinue the CUET for admissions and revert to using Class 12 examination results as the basis for student admissions.