Student bodies protest CUET seat allotment outside state
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 30 2022:
Manipur University Students' Union (MUSU) under the aegis of six student bodies namely AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS on Tuesday staged protest in front of MU main gate denouncing allocation of CUET exam centres for post graduate Manipur candidates outside the state despite choosing Manipur as the preferred choice of examination centre.
Presidents of the student bodies also submitted a joint memorandum to chief minister N Biren on the matter and urged for immediate action.
Speaking in this regard, MUSU president Sanasam Stephen Singh recounted that it previously encouraged Common University Entrance Test (CUET) to be conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to post graduate courses considering the welfare of the student community.
However, allotment of exam centres for Manipuri students outside the state for appearing CUET is unfortunate, he lamented.
Pointing out that most of the students in the state are from poor families and travelling outside the state within such short notice will be a huge problem due to financial problems, Stephen said that many students might not appear the entrance exam and lose academic year.
Moreover, as CUET is a computer based exam conducting the same in an economically backward and poor IT infrastructure state like Manipur is not an easy task, he noted and urged authorities concerned to exempt the exam or make alternative arrangements.
While stating that the student bodies could not intervene in CUET process as UGC and NTA are the central agencies, Stephen urged the chief minister and authorities concerned to consider the plight of the students and fulfill their demand.
He continued that MUSU strongly condemned CUET and further cautioned of launching intense forms of democratic protest if authorities ignore their demand.