Anxious parents, jittery students gear up for exam

BHUBANESWAR: Anxious parents and their wards are gearing up for the JEE Main and NEET examinations amid the pandemic. While many are worried about a possible risk of infection during travel, others fear contracting the virus while appearing for the tests along with hundreds of other students. The floods have compounded the woes of those aspirants hailing from the affected areas.
Though the state government has arranged for free transportation and accommodation for the needy candidates appearing for the JEE Main and NEET, those who have chosen a different city as their examination centre may face difficulties in attending the JEE Main between September 1 and 6 and NEET on September 13.
Subhadra Shukla, an aspirant from Berhampur in Ganjam district, said she had chosen Bhubaneswar as her examination city as she was preparing for both the entrance tests there. “Owing to the pandemic, I faced a lot of problems in Bhubaneswar and returned to Berhampur. I thought transportation facility will be available by September, but now I don't know how to go to Bhubaneswar and where to stay” she added.
Shukla said she had contacted an ITI institution regarding her problem, but they expressed their helplessness. She has to appear for the JEE Main on September 5 and NEET on September 13. “There is no train or bus that will take me to Bhubaneswar. I do not have a private vehicle. The accommodation is another issue. I have been preparing for these tests for the last two years. I don’t know whether I can appear for the examination or not,” she added.
Some parents are planning to take their children in their own vehicles or hired ones to the examination centres to reduce physical contact with others during travel. They will also take homemade food with them for their wards.
“My daughter is appearing for both JEE Main and NEET in Bhubaneswar. It’s a scary scenario for both students and parents, but we have to take all precautions. I will take my daughter to the examination centre in my personal vehicle and also take homemade food for her. The morale of the students is low and their preparation is also not up to the mark because of the uncertainty about the entrance examinations,” said Benudhar Biswal, a parent from Pokhariput here.