NDA exam: Long journeys and anxiety over ‘infection’

Nagpur: Though attendance for NDA exam was very low, those who did appear went through gruelling hours of travel.
Since last week, the Bhonsale family from Baramati were contemplating how to send their son Sukesh to Nagpur, which is almost 750km travel. “For me, the issue was not just about reaching Nagpur by train or bus, but also about getting to the exam centre afterwards.We were not sure what kind of local transport will be available and what if I faced difficulty in reaching the centre,” said Sukesh.
Then his paternal uncle Chandrashekhar decided to drive down in their own vehicle. “We started at 6am from Baramati on Saturday and drove at a very normal speed. Halted regularly for rest on the roadside, apart from fuel and food. Finally reached Nagpur at 4am today and checked into a small lodge near the station,” said Chandrashekhar.
Kamlesh Revankar, a Washim resident, drove down around 300km with his father and cousin in a private car. “We avoided public transport because of Covid-19 fear. We can never be sure who has the virus, and then we will be constantly touching the seats, windows, railings through the long journey. So my father decided that it’s best to spend money on personal travel rather than risk public transport,” said Revankar, who trained for NDA exam at Aurangabad.
Jaideep Shelar (name changed) and his father drove down from Akola, about 250km away, and were lucky to have ‘accommodating’ relatives in city. “My eldest sister shifted to Nagpur after marriage and we reached their home last night. However, we will leave for Akola directly from the exam centre,” said Jaideep.
But private vehicle and hotels were not something the Shinde family from Nanded, about 400km away, could afford. Suryakant Shinde boarded a private bus with his father on Saturday night, and waited outside the exam centre afterwards. His father Mandar said, “We paid almost Rs1,000 per ticket, which is obviously costlier than normal fare. There was no chance of going to a hotel or lodge because we are here only for a day and it would have affected our budget.”
The Shindes had their breakfast at a makeshift tea stall near NMC Mangalwari Complex and waited outside the centre till entry time. “Our bus for return trip leaves at 8pm tonight, so hopefully the trip was worthwhile,” said Suryakant.
But the trouble and anxiety was not restricted simply to issues outside the exam hall. Even inside the premises, the tension was palpable as students were vary of getting ‘infected’.
Siddesh Zade, a local student, said one of the candidates at his exam centre near RBI Square did not seem well. “He was seated in my room and once inside was wearing a lot of protective clothing, almost like a PPE kit. It was evident that he was not well and ultimately left without appearing for the second paper,” said Zade.