BENGALURU: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) was conducted in Karnataka with minimal disturbances on Sunday, as PM Narendra Modi participated in the second part of his roadshow in Bengaluru.
The examination took place in 499 cities in India and 14 cities outside the country. In Karnataka, as many as 1.34 lakh students wrote the test held from 2pm to 5.20pm. Earlier, students and organisations had raised concerns as the examination date clashed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow. However, after several appeals, the roadshow was limited to sunday morning by avoiding NEET centres and wrapped up around 11.40am.
Despite the arrangements made to avoid clashes, the roadshow was still criticised as the National Testing Agency (NTA) maintained that gates at NEET centres would be opened from 11am to 1.30pm. However, speaking to TNIE, NTA coordinator in Bengaluru, Gowri Nataraj stated, “NEET was conducted smoothly. No centres intersected with the routes where the roadshow was held and none of the students reported any difficulties in reaching the examination centres.”
Meanwhile, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating, in Shivamogga, that the roadshow was a success with care taken to ensure that no NEET candidates were affected, critics also took the opportunity to point out issues faced by NEET candidates in Manipur due to ongoing communal riots as a result of which the NTA had to postpone the examinations for the students there.