VISAKHAPATNAM: Around 20 students who missed their JEE (Main) session 2 exam in Pendurthi on Monday alleged that traffic restrictions due to deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan’s convoy made them reach the exam centre late.
They urged the state govt to intervene and request the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct a special exam for them.
The students and their parents alleged that the convoy passed along the same road at the time of the exam, resulting in heavy police deployment and tight security. This disrupted regular traffic, causing a jam, which the students said resulted in them reaching the exam centre late.
“Despite fervently requesting the staff at the centre to allow us they didn’t entertain our pleas. We missed the exam for which we had prepared hard for the last two years. We are made to suffer for no fault of ours,” they said.
However, Vizag police refuted the claims and clarified that traffic was not stopped for the deputy CM’s convoy. “Monday recorded the lowest absentee numbers, including late arrivals, since the second session of JEE began on April 2. The daily absentee numbers typically range between 60 and 80 candidates, while there were only about 30 absentees on Monday,” said a police official.
M Lakshmi Sudha, the mother of one of the aspirants, said her son was unable to reach the exam centre on time due to traffic disruptions caused by the convoy. “He had been preparing for this day for two years, but a minor lapse has thrown his future into distress,” she lamented.
Another parent explained that despite arriving just two minutes late and pleading for entry, their child was denied access. “Around 20 students, including my daughter, missed the exam due to the traffic disruption. We are requesting the govt to arrange a separate exam,” he said.
‘Traffic not blocked near exam centre’
Visakhapatnam police commissioner Shanka Brata Bagchi said as per the admit card instructions, candidates were required to report at the exam centre between 7 am and 8:30 am, with the gates closing at 8:30 am. “The convoy passed the junction at 8:41 am, and it is unlikely to have caused delays for students who should have arrived earlier. No traffic was blocked on the BRTS road or service roads near the exam centre till 8:30 am to ensure free movement for students,” added the commissioner.
