Hundreds miss NEET exam in Karnataka due to train delay and exam centre relocation

Agencies

May 5, 2019

Bengaluru, May 5: Hundreds of students from Karnataka missed the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) on Sunday as their train reached Bengaluru an hour after the scheduled reporting time for the exam, officials said.

A delayed Hampi express train and change of examination centres reportedly without any prior information prevented a large number of students from appearing for NEET 2019 in Karnataka.

The 16591- Hampi Express en route Bengaluru reached the city at 2.30 pm due to which hundreds of candidates could not appear in the exam, they said.

The medical exam was supposed to begin at 2 pm and students from North Karnataka, especially from Hubballi, Ballari, Hospet and nearby areas relied on Hampi Express which was supposed to reach Bengaluru at 7 am. However, the train reached Bengaluru only at 3 pm.

"The train was supposed to reach Ballari in Hospet at 10.45 am but it was not in sight. It reached Hospet at 1.30 pm," said Vinod, a student from Hospet.

A Railway public relation officer told PTI, "For the past one week the Hampi Express is running on a diverted route.

There are no timings for the diverted route. Earlier the scheduled time of reaching Bengaluru was 7 am."

NEET candidates distraught
Students ran from pillar to post in a vain bid to appear for the exam.

Jyothi S Samantri from Ballari poured out her woes in her Facebook post.

She said, "The train that was supposed to reach Bengaluru at 5.30 am is still at Ballekere. The exam starts at 2 pm. Unable to find a way out, parents are struggling."

The translated Facebook post says: Hampi express cursed! The "Hampi Express" train to reach bangalore at 5.30 am is still in bellary.. The 60 percent people of the train are attending the neet exam today at 2 PM..
Checking of exam room at 12 pm. All parents are struggling with a donation!

Karnataka Chief Minister speaks out in support of NEET candidates

As the chaos marred the examination in Bengaluru, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy joined students and their parents to demand that a special examination for those who could not appear for NEET be held.

In a tweet he said, hundreds of students from North Karnataka districts missed the test here due to a 7-hour delay of the Hampi Express train.

A last-minute change in the exam centres and lack of proper communication of the same has created confusion among students, the chief minister tweeted.

"I request PM @narendramodi, Rail Minister @PiyushGoyal, @HRDMinistry, @PrakashJavdekar to intervene and ensure that students who have missed the opportunity today get another chance to write the NEET 2019 Exam," he added.

Former Karnataka CM also takes to Twitter

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to twitter saying, "Mr. @narendramodi, You pat your own back for others' achievements but will you also take the responsibility for your cabinet min' incapabilities. Hundreds of students in Karnataka may not be able to take up NEET because of delay in the train services".

Over 13 lakh students had registered for the exam for admission to MBBS and BDS courses which was conducted by the HRD Ministry's National Testing Agency (NTA) for the first time.

The exam was conducted successfully in rest part of the country, officials said.

Hampi express route diversion main cause of delay

Meanwhile, the South Western Railway (SWR) in a statement said the Hampi express from Hubballi to Mysuruwas presently being run on diverted route instead of original route of Ballari-Guntakal-Dharmavaram-Penukonda- Yelahankadue to ongoing non-interlocked working for doubling between Guntakal-Kalluru.

The diverted route was more 120 km longer and involved engine reversal at Ballari, it said.

"In addition to this, on May 4, departure of this train from Hubballihas to be rescheduled by 120 minutes (2 hours).

Reserved passengers of the train yesterday were intimated of diversion+rescheduling by SMS on the mobile numbers given during reservation," the statement read.

Change in NEET exam centres add to confusion
Adding to the confusion, some exam centres were changed without any prior information to the students.

When they reached the exam centre, they were told that their exam centre was about 30-40 km away.

"Is it humanly possible to cross the Bengaluru traffic and reach the exam centre 50 km away?" N Vijay Kumar, a parent asked.

Protesting against the mismanagement during the NEET exam, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also took out a rally demanding re-exam.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Warning! Cancer-causing chemicals found in bakery products, especially cakes in Karnataka

News Network

October 3,2024

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Food Safety and Quality Department has issued an urgent warning following the discovery of potentially cancer-causing chemicals in cakes sold by certain bakeries across the state.

Recent tests conducted by the department revealed that some cake samples, particularly those with vibrant colors, contain harmful synthetic coloring agents such as Allura Red, a substance known to pose health risks. The findings have raised concerns about the use of artificial colors in bakery products, especially given their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.

"We routinely test various food products, and this time, our officials noticed unusually dark-colored cakes on the market," said Srinivas K, Commissioner of Food Safety for Karnataka. "Upon testing, we found that a few cakes contained Allura Red, a synthetic dye associated with health risks."

The use of artificial colors, especially in popular cakes like red velvet and pineapple varieties, is widespread as it attracts customers, particularly children. However, many bakers prefer using natural, safer alternatives, while some opt for synthetic dyes to enhance the cake's visual appeal.

"Most bakeries use permissible, natural colors that are safe for consumption. Unfortunately, a few are resorting to synthetic dyes just to make their cakes more attractive," said a bakery owner from Electronic City, speaking anonymously.

Medical experts are warning that consuming synthetic colors can lead to numerous health issues, including asthma and allergic reactions.

"Some of these artificial dyes are carcinogenic, and prolonged exposure could have serious consequences, especially for children and young adults," cautioned Dr. Vandana G, a private medical practitioner.

While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) confirms that only a limited number of samples tested positive for harmful colors, legal action is being taken against the violators.

"There is no need for widespread panic or halting production. We are closely monitoring the situation, and only a few bakeries were found to be non-compliant. Rest assured, appropriate legal measures are underway," assured an FSSAI official.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Brahmin Savarkar was non-veg eater; wasn't against cow slaughter: Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

News Network

October 3,2024

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reminded that V D Savarkar was not against cow slaughter as he himself was non-veg eater, PTI reported on Thursday.

"As a Brahmin he was eating meat, and he was openly propagating eating meat," said the minister at an event in Bengaluru.

Reacting to Gundu Rao's claim, BJP MP Anurag Thakur called Congress a "factory of lies" as he warned that India won't tolerate any disrespect towards Savarkar.

"By disrespecting Veer Savarkar they have shown that they don't respect freedom fighters. During the Congress government, Sardar Bhagat Singh was termed a separatist in textbooks...By making those who want to break the nation join the congress party, Rahul Gandhi is taking forward the ideology of 'tukde tukde' and he is a 'modern Jinnah' who speaks ill of the country abroad...," he said.

Meanwhile, a court in Maharashtra's Nashik district summoned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi earlier this week in a defamation case filed against him for his alleged objectionable remarks against the Hindutva ideologue.

The complainant, who is the director of an NGO, claimed he watched a press conference addressed by Gandhi in Hingoli and also a speech made by the Congress leader in November 2022.

He alleged that Gandhi, on the two occasions, by his words and visual representations knowingly harmed the reputation of Veer Savarkar and also tried to defame the latter's image in the society.

According to the complainant, Gandhi said "Savarkar is BJP and RSS jin" which was defamatory in nature.

Comments