Meghalaya: Chaos erupts at NEHU over CUET delay

A significant delay in the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on May 15 led to chaos and panic among students and parents. The scheduled 3 pm English paper was delayed by over two hours, creating a chaotic situation.

The confusion began when students were barred from entering the examination hall at the scheduled time. Entry was eventually allowed between 5:00 and 5:20 pm. According NEHU Registrar, Col. Omkar Singh (Retd), a malfunction in the Biometric System, which is essential for student verification, caused the delay. NEHU had to await approval from the National Testing Agency (NTA) to proceed without the Biometric System.

Parents voiced concerns over the lack of displayed examination roll numbers and seating arrangements, which contributed to the confusion. Despite the delays, NEHU officials stated that no students missed the exam. However, reports emerged of students fainting due to prolonged standing and panic. Some students required medical attention.

The NEHU Registrar acknowledged the university's role was limited to providing the venue, while the NTA managed examination procedures. However, he admitted NEHU could have been better prepared for crowd management.

The English paper incident contrasted with the earlier Chemistry paper, which ran smoothly with only about 100 students. In contrast, nearly 3,700 students showed up for the English paper, overwhelming the university's preparations.