ITANAGAR, 23 Mar: Education Minister Taba Tedir expressed concern over the introduction of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for admission to undergraduate programmes in all UGC funded central universities, saying that it will affect the interest of the state domiciles/ students.
On Monday, the UGC issued a notification that the central universities will have to use CUET scores to admit students to undergraduate programmes. As per the new policy, class 12 board examination marks will not have any bearing on the admission of the students.
“I am very much worried about the new system of CUET because if it is implemented in Arunachal then it will create a lot of problems and unrest among the students,” Tedir said in a letter to Rajiv Gandhi University VC Saket Kushwaha on Tuesday.
The minister requested the VC to ventilate the grievances before the UGC/education ministry to give relaxation or find out modalities to protect the interest of the indigenous people of Arunachal in the field of higher education.
Referring to RGU, which is a central university, Tedir said, “In Arunachal, we have only one university and most of the UG, PG, MPhil and PhD courses of the state are under the university.”
“We have no alternatives available to meet up the admission needs of our younger students, who aspire to pursue their higher studies
specifically at university level courses, and if they are getting seats in any other universities outside the state, they may not be able to continue their higher studies owing to poor financial background,” Tedir said.
“The new CUET system will affect the interest of the state domiciles/ students to get admission in the university and colleges as whatever infrastructure is available in Arunachal may not be compared with the rest of the country,” he said.
The minister said even the NEP-2020 talks about the equity and enhancement of gross enrollment ratio (GER) in the field of higher education.
“The situation in Arunachal cannot be generalized with other developed states,” Tedir said, adding that very common policies cannot be imposed in the state by ignoring the needs and aspirations of the local people and local circumstances.
The minister expressed concern that the policy of UGC is likely to impede the growth and development of the state.
Tedir also requested the RGU VC to represent Arunachal for getting some reserved seats in the prestigious universities and colleges of India.
In the meantime, Kushwaha has apprised the state’s Higher and Technical Education Commissioner regarding the implementation of the CUET by the UGC and the likely challenges the CUET may pose before the students of Arunachal.
The VC said that RGU being a central university is expected to perform the role of a central university like any other university in the country.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has also strongly opposed the UGC’s notice to implement the CUET in the admission procedure of undergraduate level in state’s various colleges affiliated to the RGU.
The AAPSU in a release on Wednesday stated, “The RGU is the lone central university of the state where students from various districts of Arunachal aspire to get admission and complete their higher studies. The implementation of the CUET will adversely affect the admission ratio of the indigenous students of the state in the university. Students from poor financial backgrounds will not be able to pursue their studies outside the state as it involves huge financial involvement. The existing system of admission in the RGU gives an adequate number of seats to students from outside the state who seek admission in the university. The joining of RGU in CUET will only hamper the seats allocated for the indigenous students of the state.”
The union demanded non-implementation of CUET in RGU in the interest of Arunachal’s student community.
