NEET re-test held across 97 centres amid tight security

Thousands of students in Delhi on Sunday appeared for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) re-examination, which was held under high security after the original test was canceled due to allegations of question paper leak.

More than 22 million students participated in the exam conducted by the National Testing Agency in 5,440 centers in 551 cities across the country. In Delhi, retesting was carried out at 97 centers with elaborate security arrangements in place. Many candidates said female students were searched twice at security checkpoints. “We were even asked to open our hair and undergo a detailed physical check by the security personnel,” said a student who did not want to give his name.

Fatigue and anxiety

For many candidates, the weeks between the cancellation of the first exam on May 3 and the retest on Sunday were filled with uncertainty, fatigue and anxiety. Meemansa, a resident of Palam, who has been allocated a center at Prime Minister Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Masjid Moth, said the disruption has affected his preparations. “I couldn’t study with the same determination that I gave my 100% in the first exam. All these days were spent in stress and self-doubt, and I don’t know if I can perform at the same level,” he said.

Another student said the retest initially felt like an opportunity. The student said, “I want this day to pass now so that I can get rid of the stress.”

“The retest will delay the admission process, which will affect other alternative career plans,” said a parent waiting outside an examination center in Dwarka Sector 2.

Most students described the retest paper as slightly more difficult than the original exam; physics emerged as the most challenging section.

(Alankrita Ray contributed to this report)