BENGALURU: Getting to the exam centres conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in Bengaluru on Sunday was a tale of two cities. While most students assigned to the Government Ramnarayan Chellaram College of Commerce and Management on Race Course Road, for instance, faced no trouble getting to the venue, at least two students assigned to the college – and many more at other centres – were delayed and denied entry. They were allegedly caught in traffic congestion caused by the swearing-in of newly-appointed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief BK Hariprasad.
Videos of students crying inconsolably, for being denied entry into the centre for arriving late by just a few minutes, were doing the rounds on social media. They were seen pleading with the examiners to excuse them and allow them entry. One of the students who arrived late was seen jumping the college fence. Some parents requested leniency, citing traffic jams caused by the Congress event, but exam centre gates closed at 1.30 pm as per NEET guidelines. TNIE could not independently verify or confirm any causality between the two events.
“Congress could have chosen any other day for its rally at Palace Grounds. Instead, it chose the very day thousands of students are appearing for NEET. As traffic disruptions choked Bengaluru, many students were delayed, and pleaded with authorities to be allowed inside,” said Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya.
NEET retest paper draws mixed response
Bengaluru-based aspirants who appeared for the NEET retest on Sunday (June 21) found the repeat paper to be more complex than the initial one, especially the physics and chemistry sections.
Most students that TNIE spoke to after the test seemed relieved that they survived the ordeal. “The paper was a tad more difficult this time around, albeit not too lengthy. I had ample time to finish it. There was not much overlap between the May 3 paper and this one. The chemistry section delved deep into organic concepts. I personally did not face any difficulty getting to the centre,” said Harshita Deepak, a candidate from Banashankari.
For Yelahanka-based Hrithikesh N, for whom this NEET appearance was a second attempt (third, if one considers the May 3 examination), found it to be of moderate difficulty. “However, the physics and chemistry sections were the real test. They were more application-based (as opposed to being theory-based), compared to the May 3 paper,” he said.
Hrithikesh said leading up to the day, he was flooded with eight to 10 fake papers claiming to be the leaked NEET paper meant for the re-test. “I did not believe in the leaks of course, but solved all of them just to prepare better for the actual examination,” he said.
Diganthh Balraj from Nelamangala, anticipating a flood of leaks, chose to remain aloof. “I remained completely shut off from such claims. I deactivated all my social media accounts to avoid any distractions,” he said.
