Nashik students denied UPSC exam entry over minutes-late arrival, parents protest

Potholes, waterlogged roads and traffic jams in Nashik on Sunday, September 13, caused several students to lose their chance at the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy (NDA-NA II) examination. Students who arrived just two to three minutes after the deadline were denied entry into the exam centre, with officials saying the gate had been shut because the entry time was over.

The exam was conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Sunday, with 13 sub-centres set up in Nashik city for it. A major row broke out over entry timing at the centre at K. V. N. Naik College. Some students who arrived two to three minutes after the deadline were stopped at the gate. They stood outside with folded hands, pleading to be let in, but were refused entry.

Heavy rain on Sunday had left several roads in the city waterlogged. Potholes and traffic jams on top of this slowed vehicles down. Many students had left home hours in advance to reach the centre on time, but were delayed by a few minutes because of these problems on the way.

Outside the K. V. N. Naik College centre, students stood pleading in front of the closed gate, saying, "It has only been two minutes, let us in." But they were not allowed in, with officials citing the rules. Some students had tears in their eyes after failing to take the exam despite reaching the centre's door after so much effort.

Resident deputy collector Rohitkumar Rajput clarified on the matter that, as per UPSC rules, the entry gate is closed 30 minutes before the exam begins. The administration also said that no official has the authority to relax this once the entry time is over.

Angry parents, upset that their children could not take the exam, raised slogans against the administration outside the centre. Parents questioned why students should be punished if they were delayed because of the city's potholes and traffic jams. The atmosphere outside the centre turned tense for a while. Angry parents also tried to stop the vehicle of the UPSC exam inspector, further escalating the commotion.

The reporting time was fixed for 9:30 am. Students who arrived a few minutes after this were denied entry. While following rules and timing is necessary for the UPSC exam, the condition of the city's roads, rainwater logging and traffic jams have raised questions about whether the administration had made traffic arrangements around the centres. After students missed their exam over a delay of a few minutes, the issue of Nashik's roads and traffic management has come back into discussion.