NEET-UG aspirants concerned about distant exam centres

After weeks of delays, the National Testing Agency (NTA) started releasing admit cards to all National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) aspirants on Wednesday. However, by evening, several students raised concerns over the allotment of exam centres, which in some cases are as far as 85km from their residences.

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A total of 2.3 lakh NEET-UG aspirants from the state will be appearing for the entrance exam on September 13.

Most parents and students are worried about making it to their exam centres in time, especially with the lockdown affecting routine travel in several parts of the state. With trains still non-functional, many students will have to depend on road travel between their residence and the exam centre.

“We stay in Jalgaon, and despite seeking an exam centre within the city, my son has been allotted a centre in Malkapur, almost 85km away. We are worried about the commute on the day of the exam,” said R Mhatre, the parent of an aspirant.

Similarly, several students in Mumbai are worried about making it to their exam centres as train travel remains restricted to the public. “We reside in Thane, but the exam centre allotted is in Virar, almost 56km by road. Since the trains are non-functional, we will have to depend on a private vehicle. These days traffic is a worry, so we might have to look for a place to reside closer to the exam centre, for a day before the test,” said Archita Shetye, the parent of another medical aspirant.

Experts highlighted that this is a common challenge faced by NEET aspirants annually. “When it comes to the common entrance test (CET), students have the choice of choosing sub-centres in Mumbai like Andheri, Bandra, Colaba, etc. In NEET, students are only allowed to choose the city and not the sub-centres,” said Subhash Joshi, owner of a city-based coaching institute for NEET aspirants.

Parents and students are now trying to reach out to NTA officials, hoping for a change in their exam centres. However, a senior NTA official told HT that such changes might be difficult this year, especially since every centre will only allow a certain number of students to ensure social distancing during the exam.