Writing to Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, Cheziaan said that the National Testing Agency under the Education Ministry has scheduled the UGC-NET December 2024 from January 3 to 16, 2025. Pongal festival falls on January 14, 2025 and Thiruvalluvar Day (Mattu Pongal) is celebrated the following day and the Farmers Day (Uzhavar Thirunal-- Kanum Pongal) on January 16.
Pongal was not merely a festival, but an "emblem of our culture and traditional heritage that spans over 3,000 years," the Minister underscored and added that the Tamil Nadu government had already declared holidays from January 14 to 16, 2025 for the Pongal festival.
"If the NET exam is held during the Pongal holidays, it will hamper the preparations for the exam in view of the celebrations," he said.
Further, Cheziaan said, "I therefore request your kind intervention to reschedule the UGC-NET examinations and other examinations to appropriate dates thereby ensuring that students and scholars of Tamil Nadu and other states where the harvest festival is celebrated can appear for the examinations."
In view of the Pongal festival, the Chartered Accountants foundation examination, January 2025 has been rescheduled, following a request by S Venkatesan, Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, the Minister pointed out.
தமிழ்நாட்டின் பாரம்பரியத் திருவிழாவான பொங்கல் (ஜன 15,16) நாளில் பல்கலைக்கழக மானியக் குழுவின் (UGC) - பேராசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வு (NET) நடத்துவதற்கான முடிவைத் திரும்பப் பெற வேண்டும் என்று ஒன்றிய கல்வித்துறை அமைச்சர் @dpradhanbjp அவர்களுக்குக் கடிதம் எழுதியுள்ளேன்.
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) December 22, 2024
சமீபத்தில்தான்,… pic.twitter.com/SxMwpasXXp
Pongal 2025: When and why the festival is celebrated?
It should be mentioned that Pongal, celebrated from January 13 to 16, marks the harvest festival in Tamil Nadu.
