UGC NET examination to be conducted after Durga puja in West Bengal
Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi said on Monday (September 21) that Union Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had assured him that there will be no NET (National Eligibility Test) examination during Durga Puja in the state of West Bengal.
Kolkata: There will be no NET (National Eligibility Test) examination during Durga Puja in the state of West Bengal, Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi said on Monday (September 21). He also added that Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had assured him of this decision.
Several UGC NET examinations, which will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), have dates clashing with Durga Puja. Examinations for subjects like geography, education, Bengali, Urdu, and Hindi, among others, will be held on Panchami, Sasthi, and Saptami, between October 21 and October 23.
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Durga puja is deeply involved with the culture and sentiments of the Bengalis. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the polls, stating the exams were scheduled at a time when Bengalis have been waiting for Durga puja. At the forefront of that protest was the ruling Trinamool party.
Trinamool leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee tweeted, “The central government has nothing to do with the sentiments and culture of the people of West Bengal. They do not give any dignity to the emotions of Bengalis. Therefore, they were able to take a decision of conducting the examination in the days of Durga puja.”
However, the Centre did not give any indication to reconsider the examination schedule.
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Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi raised the issue in the Zero Hour of Parliament on Sunday (September 20). He said, "Durga puja is the biggest festival of Bengalis. At that time, if there is any examination, it will be difficult for the candidates and also for the common citizens. The central government should consider this matter."
“The examination must not be conducted on the days of Durga puja. It should either be conducted before or postponed. The Union Education minister had assured me that there would be no NET examination during Durga puja. He had accepted my request. He said that the examination will be postponed and conducted after Durga puja. There is no reason to worry,” he further added.
However, no official announcement has been made by the government in this regard yet.