Thousands of medical aspirants took a second chance in the NEET (UG) exam on Sunday after the original exam was canceled on May 3 due to paper leak, an issue that has become a flashpoint for the government and also sparked a popular protest movement.
Officials said the examination was conducted across 5,440 centers in 551 cities in India and 14 centers abroad, with more than 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras monitoring 95,000 examination rooms.
To ensure further check against electronic malpractice, 51,311 jamming devices have also been deployed.
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Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the arrangements for the re-examination at the NTA headquarters in Okhla in Delhi.
“NTA briefed the Minister on the logistical and technical arrangements that have been put in place to conduct the examination efficiently and transparently,” the Ministry of Education said.
The exam was scheduled to be conducted in English and 12 Indian languages from 2.00 pm to 5.15 pm. Candidates with disabilities (PwD/PwBD) eligible for compensatory time were allowed to write the exam until 6.20pm.
In Madhya Pradesh, a candidate told PTI Videos after appearing for the re-examination, “The paper was good and the arrangements this time were much better, especially the identity verification system.”
“Although it was unusual to take the exam again, there was also a feeling of confidence and hope as the re-test provided another opportunity for selection,” the aspirant added.
Another candidate said: “The paper was very long and tougher than expected. My previous attempt was good, but this time things did not go so well.”
While leaving the examination center in Bengaluru, a student said that only physics was difficult while the other sections were easy.
“We got more time to read and solve problems, which helped me improve,” the candidate added.
Before the start of studies, some aspirants and their families reported difficulties in transportation to reach examination centres. However, authorities in various cities have made efforts to reduce the challenges they face.
In Bhopal, two students were denied entry to the center after arriving late. Amir Qadri, uncle of one of the applicants, said: “I came here with my nephew to take his exam. While we were on our way to the exam centre, we had an accident and were a little late, since my nephew received first aid. Now that we have arrived here, we have been denied entry. The authorities say the exam has already started and it will not be possible to let us in.”
Heavy rains fell on Kolkata and its suburbs, inundating many areas of the city and disrupting traffic.
The rains brought respite from the humid conditions but caused difficulties for passengers, including NEET aspirants traveling to examination centers to retake the exam.
But in the same city, the injured candidate was allowed a separate room in the examination centre, along with medical support and a backup ambulance.
Candidate Shrishti Dubey was seriously injured in a road accident on June 14 and sought help from the authorities to make special arrangements.
Pradhan also spoke to the parents of the aspirant, who expressed their gratitude for the help provided by NTA and the authorities.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Corporation (BEST) has arranged special bus services for students appearing for the re-examination amid the ongoing strike by its employees.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, nearly 180 bus trips were planned during the day, with 60 buses deployed on 24 routes to facilitate travel to 63 screening centers across the city.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delayed his travel to his residence after arriving at Delhi’s IGI Airport from Kolkata, to ensure that candidates for NEET re-examination do not face any inconvenience due to traffic restrictions.
Sources said after arriving at IGI Airport around 1 pm, Modi chose to wait at the airport instead of immediately leaving for his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
The administration in Gujarat deployed drones and additional personnel at its 211 centres, where nearly 79,400 aspirants appeared for the re-test.
In some states, including the national capital, free drinking water and refreshments have also been arranged for parents and guardians waiting outside examination centres, officials said.
Before entering the examination center in Delhi, candidate Kishan said that the security arrangements were stricter this time than during the previous exam.
Sonia, another NEET-UG candidate, also pointed out that the security measures were more stringent this time.
“If such security arrangements had been in place last time, the chances of the paper leaking would have been less and the students would not have faced so much trouble,” she said before re-testing.
According to a media report, a NEET student wearing a burqa and dupatta claimed that she was denied entry to the examination center in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Candidate Kulsoom Bano claimed that she had appeared in the previous examination wearing the same outfit.
“I came from Beawar to take the NEET exam. When I took the exam on May 3, I was wearing the same outfit. First, they said I had to take off the shawl to enter, then they insisted that I had to take off the burqa too,” she said before the exam began.
“If the NTA allows us, these people will not be able to stop us… If I were to take the exam and they did not allow me to wear this uniform, I would simply not take it,” she said.
The NTA later clarified that the student was allowed into the centre.
In Ahmedabad, a brief commotion was reported outside the examination center after some parents objected to students being asked to remove ‘kanthi’ (sacred Hindu threads) during inspection, while veiled girls were allowed inside, police said.
The issue was later resolved after police clarified the NTA’s dress code guidelines to parents and members of groups gathering outside the centre.
