Boycott threat fizzles out, 3000 medicos appear in UPPGMEE
Despite issuing threats of boycotting the UP post graduate medical entrance examination (UPPGMEE), about 3,000 medicos appeared in the said exam at Montfort Inter College, Mahanagar, and KKC Group of Colleges, Charbagh, on Tuesday.
Many students who took the exam had threatened to boycott it on Monday evening. They had protested outside the Vidhan Bhawan demanding cancellation of the exam as they wanted the government to admit the students on the basis of marks obtained in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). However, NEET is stuck in litigation in the apex court.
King George's Medical University officials who organised the exam said a total of 3,606 candidates had applied, of whom 121 did not appear while 71 others didn't even download their admit cards. Four students had brought old admit cards issued for the examination dated March 31, 2013, despite the committee sending individual information to students through emails, press release and official website for not using old admit cards. Special arrangements had to be made to provide new admit cards at the centre itself. Nineteen students reported late at the centre. They were allowed to appear in the examination but not given any extra time.
After the three-hour exam, many said it was easy but some candidates could not do well as their time management went haywire. Many blamed this on the ban on wrist watches inside the examination hall. "While the candidates were not allowed to wear watches, the organisers did not make arrangements to keep us posted about the time," complained Mohit Singh, a candidate. Another student, Anil Kumar, added that they were assured that the invigilators will them the time after every 15 minutes but that was not done. "Many invigilators were not even wearing watches. So for more than an hour we all were in deep stress," he said.
Dismissing these claims as trivial, KGMU officials said the examination was held peacefully.