Although the last minutes’ changes regarding the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) centres had the parents scrambling to buy tickets during the summer holidays rush hour, many students were able to attend the exams.
Apart from usual hitches such as students rushing out of the centre with earrings and additional materials that were not allowed inside the exam hall, the NEET proceeded smoothly. Nearly 1 lakh candidates, including many from Tamil Nadu, appeared for the exam, said officials in Kochi Kerala.
Meanwhile, the death of a candidate’s father cast a shadow on Sunday’s proceedings. The student came to know about it only after he finished writing the exam and later in the evening arrangements were made to transport the man’s body to Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu.
At Alpine PU College in Bengaluru, hundreds of parents were waiting outside the gates to watch their children get past security and check in. Students were allowed to carry only their admit cards and passport-size photos.
During the security check, students were told that they had not followed the dress code.
Boys were instructed to wear half-arm sleeves and yet they showed up in full-sleeve shirts. They were instructed to cut off their sleeves. Belts and watches were asked to be removed as well.
Girls were not allowed to wear clips, fashionable dresses and heeled slippers. Artificial buttons, flower designs on tops, threads around wrists and ankles were asked to be removed. Students wearing heeled slippers were asked to remove them and write their exam barefoot. Girls wearing burqas and hijabs were also asked to remove them.
For those who forgot to bring passport-size photos, arrangements were made to get their photographs inside the campus. Five students got inside the gates in the last five minutes, and at 9.30 am sharp, the gates were closed.
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The officials, including the watchman, were well aware of the rules and they were strictly adhered to.
At JSS Public School, one student who came at 10 am, when the second bell went, was not allowed inside even after pleading with the authorities.
Several students forgot to ensure their parent’s signature on the hall ticket and many rushed out for the same. “Thank god, I decided to stick around. When I was waiting outside many students came out to get their hall tickets signed and I realized that I had not signed my son’s hall ticket. When he came rushing out, he found me easily,” said M Kamaraj, who had accompanied his son from Madurai.
At several centres, the exam began late due to the extensive checks being conducted by officials. Lydia Selvamani, who had come from Tirunelveli for the entrance exam, said: “They were checking even the hair of all candidates. The whole process took a lot of time and exam started by 10.20 am.”
NOT HAPPY WITH PAPER
Alexis T Babu, who attended the NEET exam for the second time at St Peter’s School in Kolencherry, Ernakulam said the paper was difficult compared to the one he wrote last year. “Most of the questions, especially in biology, were tricky. The questions in physics paper were hard to crack,” she said.
Many students who attended the exam felt that the physics paper was relatively tougher. “The checking process was as strict as it was last year,” Alexis added. Students had the sleeves of their top cut off at the exam centre. Those wearing spectacles were made to stand in a separate line where officials checked their spectacles closely.
“There were a few grammatical errors. But the papers were quite easy,” said Bhavana H A, a student of Christ Junior College, Bengaluru.
“I did the exam well, but found Physics more difficult than Biology,” said Hemanth H O from Sir MV PU College, Davangere.
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