NEET admit cards issued, centres far-off, say Maharashtra aspirants

National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) admit cards with details of the exam centre were issued on Monday evening.

As the admit cards for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled coming Sunday were issued on Monday evening, many aspirants in the state said they have been allotted far-off centres.

Aspirants across Maharashtra said the centres allotted on NEET admit cards were far from their preferences. (PTI FILE)

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is the nodal agency that conducts NEET. In Pune, Manish Deshmukh, whose son Sayuj will take the exam on Sunday, said the centre allotted to him was 105km away from home. “Our first and second preferences for exam centres were Pune city and Navi Mumbai, respectively. However, we’ve been allotted a centre in Baramati,” said Manish.

“It is a nuisance. We have decided to reach Baramati a day ahead of the exams to avoid any rush, especially since it is the festive season. I’ll have to spend on our stay for the night as well. The students have been through a lot owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainties. Before the exam, they should have a calm mind,” he added.

Another applicant, who is from Nashik, has been allocated a centre in Shirdi, around 95km away. Applicants in the city, too, said their centres were further than what they had set as preferences.

Earlier, HT had reported that several NEET aspirants were unhappy with the centres allotted to them. At the time, Vineet Joshi, director general, NTA, had said that almost 99% of all candidates were asked to take the test from their first preferred centre. He had said that candidates unhappy with their centres could write to the agency and depending on the merit of the case, it may make some adjustments to accommodate the students. However, Joshi was unavailable for a comment this time.