Shillong, May 13 : The Meghalaya Education Department has addressed concerns from students and parents regarding the allotment of examination centers for the Common University Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2025.
The department noted a similar issue occurred during the CUET (Postgraduate) 2025, where students were initially assigned centers outside Meghalaya. The state government intervened, collaborating with the National Testing Agency (NTA) to secure additional centers within the state, and all affected students were re-allotted.
The press release clarified that the NTA manages the center allocation process using automated software. Students select four preferred locations, and the system assigns a center from those choices. The government emphasizes it has no role in individual allotments. Some students were assigned centers as far away as Port Blair because those locations were among their preferences.
CUET (UG) 2025 Center Allocation Breakdown
- A total of 12,685 students from Meghalaya registered for CUET (UG) 2025.
- 7,742 students were allotted centers within Meghalaya.
- 4,943 students were allotted centers outside Meghalaya:
- 4,654 in Assam.
- 289 outside Meghalaya and Assam.
- 93 outside the Northeast region.
- One student to Port Blair (as their second choice).
The release states there are currently two city options in Meghalaya and five in Assam. Students could have chosen from these seven locations to avoid out-of-region assignments.
The Meghalaya government criticized the NTA for not communicating the shortage of centers beforehand. The issue only surfaced when students received out-of-state allocations.
The state government has identified over 800 additional computer nodes in various institutions (listed in Annexure A of the original press release). This list has been shared with the NTA.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is validating these proposed centers for the NTA. This process is currently underway.
The Education Department acknowledged the support from schools and colleges offering their computer labs. It also noted that some institutions have not yet offered support, which is contributing to the shortage of available computer-based exam centers. The government stressed that support from all institutions is crucial.
The NTA has assured that candidates scheduled to appear for the exam after May 16, 2025, who had opted for centers in Meghalaya but were allotted centers outside the state, will be re-allotted to centers within Meghalaya, subject to center availability and validation. The Education Department will provide confirmation soon.
The Meghalaya government reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair and accessible opportunities for students in national-level exams and stated that it is in regular communication with the NTA.
