Mumbai: Several students missed Sunday’s re-NEET examination in Mumbai after arriving minutes past the 1.30pm reporting deadline, while others complained of being denied water bottles and facing inadequate facilities at some centres across the city. The exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at 63 centres across the city.
At Maharshi Dayanand College in Parel, two candidates who reached shortly after the cut-off time were denied entry, prompting protests from their parents. The students said they feared losing an academic year after missing the exam.
The students alleged that the gates were shut before the stipulated deadline. Centre authorities, however, denied the claim and said entry was closed exactly at 1.30pm in the presence of police personnel and examination staff.
Similar complaints were reported from other centres, where students arriving after the deadline were not allowed to appear for the exam.
Parents also complained that some centres in Navi Mumbai, Chembur and other areas initially refused to allow transparent water bottles despite NTA guidelines permitting them.
“When I tweeted about water bottles tagging NTA, the NTA reverted immediately that water bottles should be allowed, and then they allowed it,” said one parent.
Others alleged that some centres failed to provide adequate drinking water facilities. One parent said her son completed the examination without drinking water after being denied permission to carry a bottle and finding only a common drinking glass available at the centre.
Parents also reported power outages lasting nearly an hour at centres in Chembur and Navi Mumbai. Concerns were raised about poor infrastructure, including inadequate ventilation and old classroom facilities.
Meanwhile, to facilitate smooth travel for candidates, Central and Western Railway cancelled their scheduled Sunday mega blocks, while the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) operated 60 additional buses on 24 routes and arranged extra services with support from the State Transport administration.
After the exam, many students described the Physics section as particularly difficult, while Biology and Chemistry were considered comparatively easier.
