Puducherry goes the Tamilnady way - abolishes CET for Professional Courses

Puducherry government abolished Common Entrance Test (CET) for students seeking admission to professional courses with immediate effect.

The announcement was made in the Puducherry Assembly by Education Minister M O H F Shahjahan at the end of a debate on a calling attention motion tabled by legislators of various parties today, asking to do away with the tests.

The system of selection to various professional courses in Puducherry was introduced in 1992 and there were protests against it from parents, students, political parties and other organisations, the members said.

The members also demanded abolition of CET and restoration of status quo ante on the matter.

The call attention motion was tabled by A Anbalagan (AIADMK), S P Sivakumar (DMK) and R K R Anandaraman (PMK), who said that a "confused situation was prevailing in Puducherry whether students should appear for entrance test to get admission into professional courses or the admission was done on the basis of merits in the qualifying examinations only".

Members cutting across party lines unanimously pleaded for immediate abolition of CET and contended that Tamil Nadu government had already discontinued the system and was admitting students on the basis of marks in the qualifying examinations.

As Puducherry adopted Tamil Nadu Board Education pattern and syllabus for plus-two courses, it should also emulate the system prevailing in the neighbouring state on admissions to professional courses, they said.

DMK, AIADMK, PMK and PMC members reminded the government that it had last year promised that CET would be abolished from this academic year and wanted to honour the assurance.

Source : The Hindu