“NEET PG exam at Sriperumbudur plagued by technical glitches and power cuts, leaving students distressed”
Aspirants of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Post Graduate (NEET PG) faced major disruptions during the exam held on Sunday at St Joseph College of Engineering in Sriperumbudur. According to the guidelines set by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), the computer-based exam was supposed to begin at 9 am and end at 12.30 pm, with candidates asked to arrive at the center by 7 am. However, due to technical issues and power cuts, the exam at the Chennai suburban center did not start on time, leaving students in a state of anxiety.
“We were told that there was a technical glitch and the exam started only at 11 am. Within a matter of a few minutes, the systems went off due to another glitch and once again halfway through the exam, there was a power cut which lasted for nearly 20 minutes,” said a candidate who wished to remain anonymous.
Although Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) confirmed that there was no scheduled or unscheduled power cut, the NBE remained unavailable for comment. The exam finally concluded at 2.45 pm, almost three hours after the scheduled end time, leaving many candidates disappointed. The delay and disruptions have only added to the stress of NEET PG aspirants who have been preparing for the exam for a year. Many came out of the center with teary eyes as they could not perform well due to the poor efforts made by the NBE and the private company responsible for organizing the test in Tamil Nadu.
A parent who waited outside the college the entire day expressed their frustration, saying, “Students were already under stress because the schedule was not confirmed till the last minute. They (organisers) don’t understand the effort that goes into preparing. They haven’t done any quality checks of exam centers. Ideally, they should compensate for the mess they have created here.”
Meanwhile, a few aspirants had approached the Supreme Court seeking to postpone the exam as some doing internships found it challenging to find time to prepare. However, last week, the court dismissed the plea, leading to the exam being conducted as per the original schedule. The case is still pending before the Supreme Court.
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