HYDERABAD: Students wearing face masks stood in long queues on the day one of TS-EAMCET 'Engineering' exam. With a sanitizer and admit cards in their hands walked into the exam hall after having their temperatures checked.
While they are to be seated on seats placed at a distance of five to six metres from each other by following the COVID-19 protocol strictly, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad (JNTUH) conducted the exam to carry out admissions to various undergraduate engineering colleges across the state.
Of 1.42 lakh applicants over 35,000 are expected to attempt for the exam on day one. In the morning session of phase-I, as of now, nearly 17,000 candidates give their exam.
18-year-old Vijay Kumar, a student from Prathibha Junior College, Mancherial travelled to IoN Digital Zone LB Nagar, Hyderabad after an overnight journey to attempt the exam. "By the time I applied for the exam there were no seats left at the colleges in my district and so I had to opt for Hyderabad," he said.
"I reached the exam centre on time. I was asked to sanitize my hands before entering the computer lab. All the candidates were made to sit on alternate seats by keeping our masks on," said another student Hareesh, who had travelled along with his father from Achampet in Nagarkurnool district.
Despite all the protocols being in place, students were still worried about their safety. "I was nervous all the time Traveling to the city where COVID-19 cases are growing was a risky thing to do. But since I studied here I had to come here to give the exam," said one student.
Many parents were seen outside the examination centres wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. The COVID-19 protocol that was strictly implemented during the point of entry was broken when students came out after writing the exam as parents gathered at the gates with apprehension on their faces to identify their sons and daughters walking out of the exam centre.
The EAMCET Engineering exam would be conducted in three more days including 10, 11 and 14, of September. The exam is being conducted in two sessions: Morning session is between 9 am to 12 pm and the afternoon session is between 3 pm to 6 pm. Students have just got over with the morning session, the evening session will begin after the examination centre is sanitised.