Shillong, Mar 23: The decision of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct a Common University Entrance Test (CUET) to admit students to undergraduate courses has put Meghalaya education department in a quandary because the State Education Board does not follow the NCERT syllabus.

State Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Wednesday said, based on his information, the CUET will be based on NCERT syllabus but the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) follows a different syllabus which is more suited to the needs of students of the State. This is going to be a huge challenge for the students as NCERT syllabus is generally perceived as tougher compared to MBOSE and the students would have difficulty answering the questions.

Expressing that the move of UGC is going to be disadvantageous for the students in Meghalaya, Rymbui said the government will see and try to ensure that the students will not be at a disadvantageous position.

At the same time, he felt that the new development will lead to mushrooming of coaching centres in the State. But the most affected will be the poor students from rural areas who will not be able to afford to go to the coaching centres.