The common undergraduate entrance exam CUET has been deferred to May 29 in Manipur in view of the law and order situation, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said on Friday.

The second edition of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is set to begin across the country on May 21.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, is considering setting up a temporary exam centre in Srinagar to accommodate candidates who have been allotted centres outside Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar said.

Several students from Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand have been caught off guard as they have been allotted examination centres hundreds of kilometres away from their hometown irrespective of their preferences for a closer centre.

"NTA is exploring the possibility of setting up a temporary centre in Srinagar to accommodate candidates who have been allotted centres outside...," the University Grants Commission (UGC) chief told PTI.

In Manipur, which was rocked by violence earlier this month, the exam has been deferred by a week and students still have the option to seek change of centre.

In the northeastern state, the exam will begin from May 29.

"NTA has carefully reviewed the law and order situation in consultation with the state administration and contacted these candidates through telephone to know their preferred city.... Some candidates who were not in Manipur or wanted to take the examination in another state are being allocated (centres) in other cities, including Delhi and Guwahati. The option for change of centre for candidates of Manipur is still available," Kumar said.

"The NTA has been advised to keep all examinations in the state of Manipur from May 29 onwards. Those candidates who may have got admit cards for 21 to 24 May 2023 or city intimation slips for CUET (UG)- 2023 to be held between May 25 and 28 are required to contact NTA," he added.

The UGC chief said though all measures have been taken to allot candidates their preferred cities, there are some who have been allotted centres in a neighbouring state.

"Due to the number of candidates being extremely large in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, some candidates may still have to take the CUET outside their chosen state," he said.

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