Touts make hay while sun shines

Coimbatore: Business was brisk outside the centres where NEET was hosted on Sunday. Armed with pamphlets, representatives of private coaching institutes swarmed the venues to attract students and parents.
Besides men from coaching institutes, representatives of education consultancy services were out to sell seats in medical universities in foreign countries by offering affordable fee packages, Indian mess with hostel facilities, and global exposure.
Senior citizens as well as students had donned the hat of the private coaching representatives to distribute pamphlets. Private coaching institute would pay them 600 and free lunch to conduct promotional activities outside the exam centres, one of them said.
Meanwhile, eateries located outside exam centres were also doing brisk business, thanks to the sea of parents who flocked the centres. Parents were waiting outside the centres until their wards finished writing the test. Some parents complained about lack of chairs or seating arrangements.