No CUET for NEHU, north-eastern central universities this year too: Dharmendra Pradhan

NEW DELHI: The north-eastern central universities have been exempted from the Common University Entrance Test for Undergraduate (CUET UG) for undergraduate admissions this year too. In a letter to state chief minister Conrad K Sangma, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the exemption has been extended for 2023-24 session considering the present situation.

The central universities including Sikkim University, Rajiv Gandhi University, Manipur University, Assam University, Tezpur University, Nagaland University, Tripura University, Mizoram University, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU) Uttarakhand have been exempted from CUET.

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“Keeping in view the present situation, it has been decided that the above exemption may be extended for one more year for 2023-24,” Pradhan said in the letter.

CM Sangma thanked the education minister in a tweet and said, “Thank Hon’ble Union Education Minister, Sh dpradhanbjp ji for considering our request on behalf of our students to exempt the colleges in Meghalaya affiliated to NEHU to come under the purview of #CUET for 2023-2024, allowing them to continue with existing admission practices.”

Thank Hon’ble Union Education Minister, Sh. @dpradhanbjp ji for considering our request on behalf of our students to exempt the colleges in Meghalaya affiliated to NEHU to come under the purview of #CUET for 2023-2024, allowing them to continue with existing admission practices. pic.twitter.com/gTAkOFLxLs

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) March 18, 2023

Sangma had written to Pradhan seeking CUET exemption for students of Meghalaya seeking admission to UG courses in the current session. In the letter, Sangma said that the recent assembly election has resulted in the delay of the state board examination giving students "unprecedented challenges" to attempt the CUET exams.

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Last year, Dharmendra Pradhan announced the exemption for colleges affiliated to NEHU owing to the geographical conditions, hilly terrain, far flung location, limited digital connectivity, infrastructure, etc.