The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) went off peacefully in Tamil Nadu on Sunday with more than 80% of the registered candidates sitting for it. A total of 1,17,990 candidates had registered for the test that was held in 238 centres.
Candidates were required to come to the centres from 11 a.m. for the three-hour test that started at 2 p.m. All centres had a strong police presence to prevent crowding. Candidates were admitted in batches to the centres and allowed to carry only their hall tickets, Aadhaar cards, a passport-size photo, a transparent bottle of water and a small bottle of hand sanitiser. They were required to wear gloves and masks. Their temperature was measured at the entrance.
Many candidates were seen removing their ‘dupattas’ or wrist watches or jewellery, indicating that they had not read the instructions issued by the National Testing Agency.
In Madurai, 12,240 of the 15,036 candidates took the test at 35 centres and two centres in Theni district. S. Saran, a government school student from Ayyanarkulam in Usilampatti block, who had travelled to an exam centre at Keelamathur, said he was extremely anxious before the test started. “But once I started writing the exam, I became more confident. With the postponement of the examination, I had time to prepare well,” he said.
‘Severe stress’
R. Kalaivani, a parent from Chokkikulam, said students as well as parents had to endure severe stress because of the uncertainty over the conduct of the exam. “The recent suicides due to the NEET caused additional anxiety. But we repeatedly told our daughter that there was no need to worry about the results,” she said.
Around 10,000 candidates took the test from 16 centres in Coimbatore district.
At a centre near Sulur, the examination was delayed by nearly two hours as the candidates were given the English question booklet instead of Tamil.
In Tiruppur, which was included as a centre for the first time, 921 candidates took the test.
In Salem, members of the All India Youth Front staged a protest at one of the 30 centres, demanding cancellation of the NEET. Namakkal had nine test centres.
Across the State, candidates followed the rules assiduously. But the parents did not follow physical distancing norms. They crowded near the gates of the venue and had to be repeatedly told to move away.
Long hours
Many parents were worried that their children had to sit for long hours without food.
A parent from Chennai said the test-providers could have communicated it clearly or arranged snacks for children before the exam started. “My son had early breakfast and went in at 11 a.m. He may feel exhausted during the exam without lunch,” he said.
Some parents complained that children were not allowed to carry water bottles despite carrying transparent bottles. W. Malini, another parent, said, “I searched in four shops for a bottle that even had a transparent cap. Yet it was not allowed because the bottle’s colour had a tinge of yellow. They may have made an arrangement for drinking water inside the hall. However, it may consume more time to use that facility and it is not safe either owing to COVID-19 risks,” she said.
Parents and relatives had to wait in the open as no provision was made for them. Those who travelled from other districts had to endure a long wait. A candidate from Tiruvannamalai had sought Chennai as centre as he was undergoing coaching in the city. His father and brother waited in the school playground.
In Vellore, of the 8,370 registered candidates, 6,958 took the test. In Tiruvallur which had eight centres, 3,254 of the 3,947 registered candidates took the test, officials said.
In Kancheepuram, which has three centres, around 80% of the candidates sat for the test.
Around 82% of the registered candidates took the test in 22 centres in Tiruchi district.
The students were allotted specific timings and allowed in batches of 90 each from 11 a.m.
In Puducherry, where over 7,000 took the test at 15 centres, many had to make their way from neighbouring Cuddalore and Villupuram districts as there was no public transport. Candidates had to commute by two-wheelers to the test centres.
