Kolkata, June 21 -- The NEET-UG retest was conducted across 218 centres in West Bengal on Sunday under heightened security, with many candidates describing the Physics section as tougher than that in the cancelled May 3 examination.
The retest was held more than a month after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the May 3 examination following allegations of a question paper leak. Candidates across the state underwent biometric verification, frisking and multiple rounds of document checks before entering examination halls.
Many candidates reached their centres hours before reporting time. Apart from the extensive verification process, some opted to leave early because of traffic restrictions linked to International Yoga Day events in Kolkata.
Reactions to the question paper were mixed. Several candidates who appeared at centres in Kolkata said the Physics section was difficult compared with the earlier examination, though some felt the additional preparation time between the two tests had helped them perform better.
Attendance was lower at several centres compared with the original test. At Jadavpur Vidyapith, 604 of the 720 registered candidates appeared for the re-test, against 696 candidates on May 3. A similar trend was reported at Hindu School, where 404 of the 480 registered candidates took the test.
Among those who appeared for the examination was Srishti Dubey, a NEET aspirant from West Bengal recovering from injuries sustained in a road accident on June 14.
According to her family, she suffered nine fractured ribs and a lung injury and underwent major vascular surgery. She appeared for the examination at Binodini Girls' High School in Dhakuria after the NTA arranged a separate room on the ground floor. A medical team accompanied her and an ambulance remained on standby throughout the examination.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.