Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin terms CUET `regressive`, urges PM Modi to withdraw proposal `immediately`

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin argued that CUET will fail to provide equal opportunity to state boards educated students as well as `grossly undermine the relevance of overall development oriented long-form learning in schools.`

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday (April 6) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the ‘regressive step' of making Common University Entrance Examination (CUET) mandatory for admissions to all central universities. 

In a letter to PM Modi, the Tamil Nadu CM argued that CUET will fail to provide equal opportunity to state boards educated students as well as “grossly undermine" the relevance of development-oriented learning in schools. 

Stalin, who has rallied against NEET exam for entrance to medical courses in the country, said, “There is no doubt that this CUET, similar to NEET will side-line the diverse school education systems across the country, grossly undermine the relevance of overall development oriented long-form learning in schools and make students rely upon coaching centres for improving their entrance examination scores.”

The Tamil Nadu CM added, “I wish to reiterate that any entrance examination that is based on NCERT syllabus will not provide an equal opportunity to all students who have studied in varied State Board syllabi across the country.” 

He also alleged that NEET was a “definitive prelude to the larger attempt of the Union government to centralise higher education admissions”. 

“In most States, State Board syllabus students constitute more than 80% of the total student population and these students invariably hail from the marginalised sections. Hence an NCERT syllabus based entrance examination would place this deserving majority in a disadvantageous position in securing admission in Central Universities,” the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief added. 

Terming the national level test “undesirable”, Stalin said his government views making CUET compulsory as "yet another undesirable step in the current trend of the Union government trying to sideline both the roles of state governments as well as the significance of school education system in the process of admission to higher educational institutions. Therefore, I strongly urge you to withdraw this step immediately."

The University Grants Commission earlier announced that from the academic year 2022-2023, admissions to various courses in all central universities funded by it would be done only through CUET which will be conducted by the National Testing Agency.