BENGALURU: The train delays which saw the debacle of hundreds of National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants missing the Sunday scheduled test in Bengaluru, has led to demands from political quarters demanding a re-test to allow these students to take the exam on a fresh date. The South Western Railway, too, has decided to recommend a re-exam for the hundreds of students who missed out on the exam due to delayed arrival of the Hubballi-KSR Bengaluru-Mysuru Express by over seven hours to Bengaluru.
Chief Public Relations Officer, E Vijaya, said the letter will be faxed on Monday morning to the Union Human Resources Development Ministry. "We tried calling officials in the HRD Ministry but could not get through as it was a Sunday. We will send the letter on Monday," she said.
A similar step had been taken by the Hubballi Division of SWR last year in connection with an exam of the Karnakata Police and the recommendation was accepted, she added. Many students on board the Hampi Express had in desperation tweeted to the Railway Minister requesting help. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too had tweeted about the plight of the aspirants.
We had alerted, says Railways
The Bengaluru division had alerted on May 1 through the media that the Hampi Express would be diverted from May 3 to May 9. “The train should have reached Yeshwantpur at 7.40 am and KSR Railway station at 8.10 am,” a senior official said. However, it reached Yeshwantpur at 2.20 pm and KSR at 2.36 pm. The train had a two-hour delayed start at Hubbali junction and left at 8.20 pm. “This was done because of Train no. 16592 arrived late by two hours and 55 minutes,” said Chief Public Relations Officer E Vijaya.
Not The First Such Case
This is not the first time when students missed the exam due to the delayed train. Delayed arrival of the Kohlapur-KSR Bengaluru-Rani Chennamma Express on August 4, 2018, had also resulted in many students losing out on State Police Recruitment Board exams.