The National Testing Agency (NTA) abruptly cancelled the National Common Entrance Test (NCET) 2024, leaving hundreds of students from Meghalaya in dismay.
Scheduled to take place on Wednesday from 2 pm to 5 pm, the pan-India exam was called off at the last minute due to technical reasons, as stated by the NTA. With no designated exam centres in Meghalaya, many students had journeyed to Assam to sit for the test.
Students from Meghalaya had to make arrangements to travel to Assam as there were no exam centres available in their home state. Some were allotted seats in Downtown University and Antilia Online Exam Centre, compelling them to journey to Guwahati, Assam. However, the sudden cancellation meant disappointment and financial and time losses for many.
Several students had booked tourist taxis to travel to the exam centres, only to find their efforts wasted by the NTA's decision. Expressing their frustration, they lamented the unnecessary expenditure and the need to once again plan for the journey to Guwahati once the new exam dates are announced.
The cancellation has sparked concerns among students and parents alike, raising questions about the reliability of exam scheduling and the inconvenience caused to candidates, particularly those travelling from distant locations. The NTA's promise to announce new dates offers a glimmer of hope. Still, the uncertainty surrounding the rescheduling adds to the anxiety of students diligently preparing for the exam.
In light of this incident, there have been calls for better contingency planning and communication from the NTA to prevent such disruptions in the future. Students from Meghalaya and their counterparts from other regions await further updates from the NTA regarding the rescheduling of NCET 2024, hoping for a smoother and more organized examination process in the coming days.