New Delhi: Lakhs of medical aspirants took a second shot at the NEET (UG) examination on Sunday after the original May 3 test was cancelled due to paper leaks.
From Drones to CCTV : NTA’s Anti-Malpractice Crackdown
The controversy, which had triggered widespread protests and turned into a political hot potato, prompted unprecedented security measures. The examination spanned 5,440 centres in 551 Indian cities and 14 locations abroad. To prevent electronic malpractice, the NTA deployed 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras across 95,000 examination rooms alongside 51,311 jammers, while the Gujarat administration deployed drones at 211 centres.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the logistical arrangements at the NTA headquarters. Conducted from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM in English and 12 Indian languages, the test offered renewed hope to many, though feedback was mixed. Some candidates lauded the stricter identity-checking systems, while others found the paper lengthier and tougher than expected, with Physics being noted as particularly difficult.
Regional Challenges
Several cities witnessed significant logistical hurdles, which were met with active interventions from authorities:
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi delayed his travel from the IGI airport to his residence to ensure candidates did not face traffic restrictions.
Kolkata: Despite heavy rains causing severe waterlogging, authorities arranged a separate room, medical support, and a standby ambulance for an injured candidate, Shrishti Dubey.
Mumbai: The BEST undertaking ran nearly 180 special bus trips across 24 routes to assist students despite an ongoing employee strike.
Bhopal: On a stricter note, two candidates who met with a road accident en route were denied entry for arriving after the gates had closed.
Dress Code Standoffs
Strict Rules and Dress Code Disagreement At Venues
Strict frisking protocols caused brief friction at multiple locations. In Ajmer, Rajasthan, an aspirant wearing a burqa and a dupatta alleged she was initially denied entry, though the NTA later clarified that she was permitted to take the test. In Ahmedabad, a commotion erupted when parents objected to students being asked to remove ‘kanthi’ (sacred Hindu threads) while girls wearing hijabs were allowed inside.
Local police successfully defused the situation by explaining the official NTA dress code guidelines to the gathered crowd. To comfort those waiting, administrations in several states also arranged free drinking water and refreshments for parents and guardians stationed outside the heavily guarded venues.
