Shillong, Sept. 3: Bowing to popular demand, IIM Shillong will get its own common admission test (CAT) centre in the city.

In a statement here, IIM Shillong said after assessment of the demand from several quarters in connection with non-availability of a CAT centre here, the institute’s director, Ashoke K. Dutta, took up the issue with the CAT committee for holding the common admission test in Shillong.

The Khasi Students’ Union had earlier demanded that for a city that hosts an IIM should have a CAT centre to help local students write examinations here instead of going outside the state.

For IIM Shillong, the current centre for CAT examination is in Guwahati whereas other six IIMs in country have test centres in their respective states.

Earlier, the CAT committee was reluctant to provide a test centre to Shillong in the absence of a cyber security system since the examination is conducted online.

However, IIM Shillong has taken up the matter with the CAT committee and assured that all aspects related to cyber security, including measures to check impersonation, will be taken care of by the management institute.

IIM Shillong said it was concerned over the difficulty faced by local students who wish to take up the common admission test for a seat in the prestigious institute.

“An understanding has been reached wherein the process for establishing a CAT centre in Shillong is under way and the exact location of the centre will be announced in the next few days,” the statement issued by the management institute said.