VIKAS SHARMA
JAMMU: While welcoming the opening of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) Examination Help Centres by National Testing Agency (NTA) in various districts of Kashmir Province in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir, the stakeholders are now demanding the opening of similar centres in Jammu Province also so that maximum aspiring applicants will be benefited and get complete information about the entrance test.
Pertinently after the Greater Jammu in its report published on March 4, 2023 edition had mentioned that of total 24 CUET Examination Help Centres opened by the NTA not even a single such centre was established in J&K UT, the NTA had established six centres including five in J&K and one in Ladakh UT. Overall, 10 more centres have been added by NTA including 6 in J&K UT. It was also reported that all the centres were established in Kashmir Valley.
They included Spring Buds Higher Secondary School, (Srinagar / Budgam), R P High School (Srinagar / Ganderbal), Shemford Futuristic School (Anantnag), Sanctorum Public School (Baramulla/Kupwara, Bandipora) and Lyceum International School (Pulwama Shopian). In UT of Ladakh, the Help Centre was established at Lamdon Model Senior Secondary School (Leh, Ladakh).
During an interaction with the stakeholders including students, parents and teaching faculty, majority of them are demanding immediate opening of Help Centres in the districts of Jammu province. “Opening of the centres is definitely a great initiative because in J&K, there is very little awareness among all. We are glad that the centre has been established in different districts in Kashmir Valley but at the same time, such centres should be opened in Jammu region too|”, a group of students said.
“The information has reached to all concerned that from this new academic session, admission in the colleges to pursue the Undergraduate (UG) Programmes will be held purely on the basis of CUET score not only the basis of class 12th grades/marks. But the students especially those appearing in the ongoing class 12th board exams need proper counselling/coaching about the new mode of admission so that they can appear in it with confidence”, the stakeholders maintained.
“The schools management, be it government or private, are doing their bit to make students aware after the issuance of official notification regarding conduct of CUET but still it is not enough to ensure maximum appearance of students in the entrance test. That is why, opening of CUET Examination Help Centres is the need of the hour”, they added.
Pertinently, the helpline service is being provided free of cost. The students need to attempt the questions in three sections to crack the CUET to be conducted in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. There is also a negative marking for the wrong answer.