Amid Covid protocol, 4,500 take NEET in Bathinda

Tribune Reporters

Bathinda, ludhiana & Jalandhar, September 13

More than 4,500 candidates from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan took NEET at 11 examination centres in Bathinda on Sunday amid strict adherence to precautions in the wake of Covid-19.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) had made special arrangements. Candidates and staff on examination duty were given face masks, gloves and refreshments during the exam.

The exam was scheduled to begin at 2 pm, but entry for the same started at 11 am that lasted till 1.30 pm. All candidates were thermal screened before entering the examination centre and sanitisation of centres and social distancing was followed both in and outside the centres. Hand sanitisers were placed both at the entrance of the examination centre and rooms.

There was a provision for isolation rooms for candidates having mild fever. After thermal scanning at the entrance, admit cards of candidates were also sanitised before letting them enter the centres.

Following social distancing norms, 12 candidates were accommodated in one room unlike 24 candidates last year. The examination centres included Kendriya Vidalaya, Army Public School, Oxford School, Saint Xavier School, DAV Public School, Saint Kabir School, Star Plus Convent School, SriGuru Hargobind School, Lord Rama School and Police Public schools.

As per an official tasked with conducting of the exam in the district, there was barely any impact on the attendance of candidates due to Covid-19 spread and like previous years, maximum candidates took the exam today. Two special trains were put to service for travelling of candidates.

In Ludhiana, of the 2,566 registered students, 2,164 appeared for NEET at three centres. Three centres were Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School, Doraha; Sri Guru Nanak Dev Convent School, Andlu; and Indo-Canadian Academy, Ladian Kalan.

In Jalandhar, over 5,000 candidates from the district appeared for NEET that was held in five different centres. The students showed mixed response towards the conduct of the exam. The aspirants had covered long distances to arrive at their centres.

While most of the students after attending their exams said it was good that NEET was conducted despite opposition by several students, parents of the students waiting outside the venues expressed anger towards the government for holding the exam amidst the pandemic.

Follow norms, parents told

• In Jalandhar, parents waiting outside the venues expressed anger towards the government for holding exam amidst the pandemic
• They kept waiting outside the centres till the exam got over, thus disrupting traffic
• Cops deployed outside the venues warned them of action if they didn’t follow social distancing