Director Colleges writes to NTA for corrective measure
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 18: The Government has intervened as scores of Jammu Kashmir students are in distress because of National Testing Agency (NTA) designating their exam centres for the scheduled Common University Entrance Test (CUET) outside the Union Territory.
Taking cognizance of the peculiar situation and vociferous resentment against the same at the time of scheduled G-20 event in Kashmir, the J&K Higher Education Department has taken up the matter with the National Testing Agency (NTA) and requested that students from J&K be re-allotted centres in twin cities of Srinagar and Jammu to take them out of this discomfort.
“We have formally apprised the NTA top authorities seeking necessary action and if no corrective measures are taken, the Higher Education Department will adopt alternative measure for ensuring that J&K students are not deprived of admission in the Union Territory colleges,” Director Colleges, Prof Yasmeen Ashai told the Excelsior.
Pertinent to mention that the Common University Entrance Test 2023 for admission in various colleges across the country, including J&K, is scheduled to be held from May 21 to 28 for which various centres have been established in different parts of the country. In J&K, these online test centres have been established in Jammu and Srinagar Capital cities.
However, thousands of these CUET aspirants in Jammu and Kashmir have been allotted online test centres outside J&K UT without their consent for the same thus putting them at great inconvenience. A number of such students from Jammu Kashmir have been allotted exam centres in Punjab, Haryana and even in Andhra Pradesh and other States thus making it almost impossible for maximum of them to appear in the test because of unaffordable air fare , tough hilly terrain and disturbed highways.
This has come as a big shock to these aspirants as they were not expecting that for a normal college admission they will have to travel beyond the city with a heavy pressure on their purse. Some of these aspirants held protest demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday.
Taking cognizance of the situation, the Commissioner Secretary Higher Education Department, Alok Kumar has issued directions for taking up the matter with the concerned agency for necessary action.
According to Director College, Prof Yasmeen Ashai, she has taken up the matter with the Senior Director NTA, Dr Sadhna and apprised the authority about the difficulty being faced by the J&K students because of the allotment of exam centres to them outside J&K.
“We have forwarded an official communication to the NTA explaining the difficulties being faced by the students because of the situation and asked the authority to resolve the issue so that all the J&K candidates may appear in CUET exam at the centres in Jammu and Srinagar,” she said.
Maintaining that the Government was trying its best to ensure that all students of J&K are allotted exam centres within the UT, the Director Colleges said that the Higher Education Department would look for other options if the issue is not resolve by the NTA.
“We will ensure that students may not suffer in getting higher education,’ she said without elaborating the options.
Sources said that in the letter to NTA, the Higher Education Department has explained that the matter has escalated and due to massive media coverage, it will bring a lot of noise at the time of G20 event in UT of J&K.
Seeking re-allotment of centres for such students in Jammu and Srinagar, the Higher Education Department has offered to extend any support for making it happen.
Meanwhile, National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah among other leaders from different political parties have expressed their serious concern over the difficulty being faced by the students because of allotment of CUET exam centres outside J&K and asked the concerned agency to take necessary corrective measure by increasing the centres within UT.
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