CM Stalin requests Union Minister to reschedule UGC-NET exam
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urging the rescheduling of the UGC-NET exams due to the clash with the Tamil Nadu Pongal festival, which falls on January 14, 2025.
Stalin highlighted that the festival, celebrated as ‘the harvest festival’ in the state, holds immense cultural and religious significance for the Tamil community, and its observance spans four days, from January 13 to 16.
In his letter, Stalin referenced the Tamil Nadu government’s declaration of January 14-17, 2025, as holidays for the occasion. He noted that if the exams proceed as scheduled, it would create a significant hardship for many candidates who celebrate the festival with their families.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that similar concerns had led to the rescheduling of the Chartered Accountants foundation exam.
He urged that the National Testing Agency (NTA), which typically does not schedule UGC-NET exams during Pongal, reconsider the dates, proposing that the exams be shifted to later dates to accommodate the students and scholars of Tamil Nadu and other states observing the Harvest Festival.
Stalin’s plea comes in light of previous years when the UGC-NET exams were not conducted during the Pongal season, underlining the importance of maintaining cultural sensitivity in the scheduling of nationwide exams.