Focus on basic facilities at NEET exam centres: Students

Mumbai: While efforts are being taken to make the NEET-UG examination process more secure and leak-free, many students and parents say attention must also be given to the basic facilities available at examination centres. Ahead of the NEET re-exam scheduled on June 21, some have written to the National Testing Agency (NTA) seeking uniform instructions to invigilators and standard infrastructure facilities across centres, including functioning wall clocks (since watches are not allowed), adequate seating and even writing benches, proper lighting, fans, power back-up among others.

A parent, whose son had his exam centre in Kurla, said unequal testing experience could inadvertently prove to be a disadvantage for students who have prepared for the test for years. “The absence of proper wall clocks in examination halls creates confusion and unnecessary anxiety among students. Time management is one of the most critical aspects of competitive exams. Many students rely on wall clocks to divide time efficiently between sections and questions, as wrist watches are prohibited…,” said the parent. Though there is a multi-bell ringing schedule, students claim it is difficult to focus.

“The NTA must stop selecting exam centers without proper power backups,” said C Sehgal, a parent. Highlighting the risk of erratic power supply during the upcoming monsoon, she stressed that the agency must thoroughly inspect the electrical infrastructure at every venue prior to the exam to ensure a seamless testing environment. “If not a proper cooling system, there should be adequate ventilation and fans, to ensure students are not at discomfort while writing this high-pressure exam. Their future and career depends on this three-hour exam and therefore the agency should ensure that they write it in a comfortable environment,” she added.

Prashant B, another parent, also said instructions given to invigilators also vary from centre to centre. “Some students complain about not being allowed to do rough work on the question paper, but at some centres it is allowed,” said the parent. Broken tables, unstable desks, uneven writing surfaces and cramped seating arrangements are a few other complaints that students and parents have highlighted, adding that such conditions are ‘unacceptable for examinations of national importance’.