E-Paper
Amid tight security, more than 6.60 lakh aspirants sit for NEET
Around 667,000 aspirants appeared for the first phase of the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and BDS courses at 1,040 examination centres across 52 cities on Sunday.
Around 667,000 aspirants appeared for the first phase of the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and BDS courses at 1,040 examination centres across 52 cities on Sunday.
In view of last year’s All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT), which was cancelled by the Supreme Court due to reports of widespread cheating, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) this year imposed strict guidelines to prevent any wrongdoing.
Aspirants were allowed to carry only their admit card and two photographs, and nothing else. Caps, rings, bracelets, watches and religious symbols were forbidden.
The candidates were also asked to take off their shoes before being scanned with a metal detector and torchlight. Girls had to tie their hair.
Students who failed to follow the stipulated dress code — light colour half-sleeve clothes without buttons or brooches — and some latecomers were prevented from entering the exam hall, but the test went without any major incident.
The paper itself was balanced, examinees said.
“Those who had studied beyond NCERT would have been able to easily handle the questions, but overall the paper was balanced,” said Ritika Sanjalee, an aspirant from Chandigarh.
“The biology part was easy but I found physics a little lengthy,” said Meenu Mathew of Bhopal.
However, there were complaints of a few erroneous questions or questions with multiple possible answers.
“We have already sent an email to the CBSE-AIPMT cell to intimate them about these erroneous questions,” said an academician and Pre-Medical Test (PMT) trainer in Chandigarh, Arvind Goyal.
The second phase of the common medical entrance test will be held on July 24.
