Srinagar: Hundreds of students from Kashmir appearing in the Common University Entrance Test on May 25, 26, 27 and 28, are distressed over the fact that they have been allotted examination centres hundreds of kilometres from their hometowns, and in several cases, outside Jammu and Kashmir altogether.
There have been protests against the National Testing Agency, which is conducting the CUET, in the Valley since the centres were allotted three days ago.
Around 80,000 students have applied for the CUET exam from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The CUET is a newly introduced all-India test for admission to various undergraduate, integrated, postgraduate, diploma, certification courses and research programmes in 45 central universities of India.
It is an essential step in higher education. However, now, school-leaving students who belong to poorer families are left staring at significant expenses to travel to exam centres.
‘Can’t afford such travel expenses’
Abrar Ahmad Mir from North Kashmir’s Kupwara district said he would have preferred to write the exam from his hometown, which is 100 kilometres from Srinagar. But because options were limited, Mir finalised Srinagar and an exam centre in Baramulla district.
“Now I am shocked to see that my centre was allocated outside J&K,” Mir said. Patiala, from where Mir is supposed to write the exam, is 660 kilometres away.
The students whose centres have been allotted outside J&K said that they will now have to arrange to reach venues two or three days prior to the exam date to look for the centre, and arrange for accommodation and food.
The whole exercise is likely to cost in the thousands.
Mir’s father, who is a labourer, said that he simply could not afford such travel expenses. Mir feels he has no option but to skip the exam and watch his career get ruined unless his exam centre is re-allocated to a closer venue.
Also read: ‘Unequal Footing’: Kashmir MBBS Students Oppose Move to Pool PG NEET Seats in All India Quota
While appealing for the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s intervention, senior Communist Party Of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami wrote on Twitter, “Poor students lack wherewithal to pay for the travel expenses.”
Appealing to @OfficeOfLGJandK to intervene.
— M Y Tarigami (@tarigami) May 17, 2023
Another student, Shakir Maqbool from Kandi area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, whose assigned centre is in Pathankot of Punjab said it is unfair that the prospect of an admission to a college can take away Rs 20,000 from a poor family.
“My father is a farmer and he cannot afford this amount of money for travel and other expenses. I will have to skip the exam,” said Maqbool.
Students who are looking to make the 700-800 kilometre journey to their exam centres fear that they will be left tired and will thus not be able to write the exams well.
Safety worries
There are safety concerns for girl students as well.
Iffat Shabir, who is from central Kashmir’s Budgam district, has been allotted a centre in Punjab and her parents, besides not being able to afford the expenses, are apprehensive about sending their daughter alone to a different state.
Shabir, too, will skip the exam.
“We are also poor and have other struggles in life and now this decision of NTA is adding to our problems. It seems that they don’t care about the students and their convenience,” she said.
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Other politicians parties have taken up the matter as well. Mohit Bhan, Peoples Democratic Party spokesperson, said that it was unfortunate on the part of the administration to ignore the request of thousands of students who want to appear in this examination without travelling great distances.
‘Callous and insensitive’
Bhan said that highways are often closed due to bad weather and flights, which cost no less than Rs 20,000 for a round trip, are not a viable alternative.
“It is very insensitive and very callous on behalf of the administration and the Ministry of Education in particular to not address the genuine concerns of the students,” he said.
Students also asked why the authorities were resolute in their decision to conduct computer-based exams, surmising that the reason why faraway centres had been assigned was because not too many centres in J&K had the basic infrastructure to conduct such exams.
Bhan asked how the country could host foreign delegates for the G20 events but could not build the necessary infrastructure for students.
The J&K Students Association (JKSA) has written a letter to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and J&K L-G Sinha to intervene and ensure the establishment of examination venues within Jammu and Kashmir.
#CUET Centres Outside Valley:J&K Students Association Writes to JK LG for Intervention @dpradhanbjp @OfficeOfLGJandK pic.twitter.com/IExFUUF4iy
— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) May 18, 2023
Politicians and other prominent personalities in J&K, including professor Nilofer Khan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, have written to concerned authorities to intervene in the matter.
Arjumand Shaheen is an independent journalist based in Srinagar, J&K.
