Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unusual decision on Sunday, June 21, opting to delay his departure from Delhi Airport to ensure a smooth commute for students appearing for the NEET-UG re-examination. The Prime Minister arrived at the airport around 1:15 PM but chose to remain there instead of proceeding to his residence, waiting until the crucial examination commenced at 2 PM across the country.
Preventing Traffic Congestion for Students
The move was a deliberate effort to mitigate potential traffic disruptions in the national capital. With thousands of candidates traveling to their respective examination centers, the movement of a Prime Ministerial convoy, which typically involves temporary route restrictions and significant traffic management measures, could have caused considerable inconvenience.
By delaying his own travel, Prime Minister Modi sought to avoid any impact on the students' ability to reach their examination venues on time, underscoring the importance of their academic pursuits.
NEET-UG Re-Examination Under Enhanced Security
The NEET-UG re-test itself was conducted under heightened security arrangements following the cancellation of the initial examination due to widespread allegations of irregularities and paper leaks. The National Testing Agency (NTA) implemented an extensive security network for the re-examination, which saw over 22 lakh candidates across 5,440 centers in India and 14 centers abroad.
- More than 95,000 examination rooms were monitored via 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras, supported by AI-based surveillance.
- Over 51,000 signal jammers were installed to prevent electronic cheating.
- Security personnel included 6,700 observers, over 100 virtual monitors, nearly 39,000 frisking staff, and more than 48,000 biometric verification personnel.
Dedicated Centre Systems Officers were also deployed to ensure the secure and fair conduct of the examination, which serves as a critical gateway for admission to undergraduate medical courses in the country.