NEET Re-Exam Row in Mumbai: Student Denied Entry After Gate Closure, Parents Protest Outside Parel Centre
A controversy unfolded during the NEET-UG re-examination in Mumbai on Sunday after a female candidate was allegedly refused entry at an examination centre in Parel despite reaching around the scheduled gate-closing time. The incident triggered protests by parents and bystanders, who questioned whether authorities should have shown flexibility in a high-stakes national examination.
According to media reports, the student arrived at the examination venue just minutes before or around the official entry deadline of 1:30 PM but was stopped from entering the hall. While one report claimed she reached at 1:27 PM, another stated she arrived at approximately 1:31 PM, leading to conflicting accounts over the exact timing.
A video circulating on social media captured tense moments outside the examination centre as parents urged officials to allow the candidate inside. Sharing the clip on X, user Atul Singh wrote, "A female student who arrived 2 minutes late for the NEET re-exam at a college in Parel, Mumbai, was barred from entry. Parents standing there accused the center of closing the gate 7 minutes before the scheduled time. A major commotion ensued."
Eyewitnesses and parents gathered outside the venue claimed the gates had been shut before the official 1:30 PM deadline, leaving several students unable to enter. They appealed to the centre administration to reconsider the decision, arguing that a delay of a few minutes should not cost a student an entire academic year.
According to another report, the candidate had travelled from Kurla and faced difficulties reaching the centre due to the ongoing BEST bus strike and heavy traffic conditions in Mumbai. Parents present at the venue alleged that transport disruptions significantly delayed students and called for a short grace period in exceptional circumstances.
Quoting a parent, the report stated, "She was right outside the gate, but they wouldn't listen. With the bus strike, getting here on time was already a struggle. To lock a student out over a matter of seconds, especially when the college reportedly closed the gate early, is completely unfair to their career."
As the student reportedly broke down in tears, parents continued requesting officials to permit her entry. Police personnel stationed at the centre were also seen interacting with the institute's management, but the gates were not reopened, with authorities reportedly citing National Testing Agency (NTA) protocols.
The NTA's official guidelines required candidates to report between 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM, clearly stating that no candidate would be allowed inside once the gates closed at 1:30 PM.
