India's NEET Exam Centres Deny Late Arrivals, Prompt Protests

Two NEET candidates were turned away at a Mumbai examination centre after arriving after the 1:30 pm gate‑closing deadline, sparking protests outside Maharishi Dayanand College. The National Testing Agency (NTA) rules require strict adherence to the cut‑off time, and officials said no candidates could be admitted after the gates were locked.

A similar incident occurred in Bengaluru, where four students missed entry by a minute or two when the gate was sealed at the mandated time. Parents blamed heavy traffic from a Congress rally and insufficient police management, arguing that the delay jeopardised their children’s futures. Exam authorities maintained that the regulations left them no discretion to make exceptions.