NEET-UG exam: Chandigarh students find physics portion tough

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) - UG exam on Sunday, with Chandigarh students finding the physics portion challenging to attempt.

The NEET-UG exam is conducted for admission to premier medical colleges, including GMCH in Sector 32, Chandigarh.

Saurabh, who appeared for the exam at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, said the physics questions were lengthy and even evoked anxiety. Another student, Deepak Singla, who also found the physics portion challenging, said he was able to attempt the biology part satisfactorily as the questions were mostly based on the NCERT textbook.

Kunal Singh, who runs a city-based coaching for NEET students, said last year’s physics portion was mostly from the NCERT textbook, but this time, some questions were of JEE Main and even JEE Advanced difficulty level. He added that the cutoff is likely to be lower this year, with physics likely to be the deciding factor as both chemistry and biology portions were mostly NCERT-based.

Security beefed up around centres

Over 1,000 students were present at the ten centres designated in the city, including eight government schools. Around 300 cops were deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the test.

While the exam started at 2 pm, police presence was seen outside the schools from the morning itself. What was different this time was that the roads outside the schools were also barricaded. While residents were allowed to drive past, no one was allowed to stand near the barricades placed near the centres’ entrance. Videography of the centres was also conducted by the police. While the exam finished at 5 pm, police remained present outside the centres even after 6 pm, till the answer sheets were sealed. Traffic police personnel were also present to manage traffic outside the centres.

To add a layer of security, biometric attendance of all candidates was also recorded at the centres to verify their identity and prevent impersonation. This includes fingerprint scanning and photograph capture at the entry point.

Biology teacher flags issue with question

Arvind Goyal, a NEET trainer in Sector 37, flagged an issue in one of the questions in the exam. Goyal, who is a biology teacher, said one of the questions, which involved matching one row with the other, had two correct answers. “We will flag this question when the NTA opens the window for submitting objections regarding the paper. There have been errors in previous years’ papers as well,” he added. He said the biology part of the exam was straightforward, and anyone who was well prepared shouldn’t have faced any problem in attempting it.

Last year, amid the allegations of paper leak, the NEET exam had to be re-conducted for some students. A centre was formed in Chandigarh as well where two students, who were supposed to reappear for the exam, chose not to show up. The NEET UG exam is conducted to seek admission in premier medical colleges, including Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32.