MillenniumPost
Delhi

Pandemic deals a tough blow to candidates without pvt transportation

new delhi: Day one of the Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) in the city saw candidates from across the country scramble to their respective test centres battling risk of infection and inadequate public transport to compete for a few coveted spots at the varsity. The exams are being held by the National Testing Agency (NTA) from September 6 to 11.

Interestingly, the lack of access to private transportation and the pandemic-induced restrictions has narrowed the pool of students who appeared for DUET this year.

However, despite deciding to go ahead with the entrance test amid strong protests from the student community, the first day of the examination proved to be a major problem for students coming from outside Delhi. While the DU exams for final year students were conducted online, the DUET is being conducted at around 25 centres in the country, several of which are in Delhi.

Lucknow resident Yash Srivastava (24) had travelled to Delhi a few days before for his M.A English exam, held today at a test centre in Jahangirpuri, and took a cab from his accommodation near Nehru Place to the test centre. "Since I couldn't secure a train berth, I used a carpooling app (BlaBlaCar)". While a carpooling app, where the average cost of one-way travel between Lucknow and New Delhi is easily upwards of Rs 1,000, might have been convenient for Srivastava, the same can perhaps not be said of candidates from weaker economic backgrounds.

Srivastava said that cancelling the exams would have seriously hurt his higher education goals. "I don't know, to be honest. Strange times but life must go on maybe?"

He will also appear for the M.A Psychology exam on the 10th but will have to miss out on another exam due to conflicting dates, for which his centre is in Lucknow.

Maya had traveled with her daughter on a bus for the exam at the Fringe Institute of Advanced Studies. "I am glad the entrance took place, however, the centre was far away. This became a major problem for us as we had no mode of transportation," she said.

Another outstation candidate had to travel one day prior via the same carpooling app, to a relative's house in Noida and then reach her test centre in Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase 1, one hour before her first shift M.A English exam started at 8 am. She then had to travel further to another test centre in Budhpur Village, GT Karnal Road for the 2nd shift M.A Political Science exam that started at 12:30 pm, but entry at all test centres was barred one hour prior. "I even considered skipping this exam, but ultimately decided not to because I don't want to miss out on the chance of studying in DU," she said.

At Dwarka's Air Hostess Institute at sector–8, students were facing the same issues. "I have come from Ghaziabad to give the examinations," a student, giving masters in environment entrance, before entering the exam hall told the Millennium Post.

While some students at a few exam centres complained of lax COVID-19 protocols, most largely agreed that authorities had prepared the centres as much as possible.

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