A case has emerged involving a student from Nagpur who was allotted Abu Dhabi, UAE, as the examination centre for the NEET re-examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). According to the student, he does not possess a passport, and his family lacks the financial resources required for overseas travel, preventing him from appearing for the examination.
The incident has drawn attention after the student and his family stated that the centre allocation left them unable to take the examination. The matter has generated reactions on social media and in political circles.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi reacted to the issue on social media platform X, stating that a student who had been preparing for the examination for a month was assigned an examination centre in Abu Dhabi at the last moment.
According to Rahul Gandhi, the student did not have a passport, the family did not have sufficient funds for international travel, and very little time remained before the examination. He said the situation caused significant mental stress for the student, who subsequently declined to appear for the examination.
Rahul Gandhi described the incident as a serious failure of the examination system and questioned how such an error could occur.
He further stated that the country’s examination system is increasingly becoming a source of mental pressure for students and parents. He alleged that the current system is testing the patience, time and mental well-being of students. He also said that if students are unable to receive timely and practical examination centre allocations, it raises questions about the accountability of the system.
The National Testing Agency also responded to the matter, stating that the complaint has been taken seriously and that an investigation has been initiated.
According to the NTA, the case is under examination and a review is being conducted at both the technical and administrative levels. The agency said that a new examination centre in Nagpur would be allotted to the student within the next few hours.
The NTA also indicated that the issue may have resulted from a system error or a data-processing mistake.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of examination centre allocation procedures in NEET, a national-level medical entrance examination taken by a large number of students. Following the development, concerns have also been raised among students and parents regarding errors in examination-related processes.
