Nearly 100 candidates appearing for the first shift of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) entrance examination were shifted to another centre after the biometric verification system failed at a private college near Mundian village on Saturday. The problem occurred at Synetic College, where the ICAR All India Entrance Examination for Admission (AIEEA), Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and other ICAR entrance examinations were being conducted. A total of around 360 candidates were scheduled to appear in the first batch at the centre.
Technical fault delays examination
According to candidate Jasmeet Kaur from Phagwara, the biometric attendance system developed a technical fault before the examination, leaving nearly 100 students unable to complete the mandatory verification process. As the issue could not be resolved in time, the authorities shifted the candidates to Aurobindo College to enable them to take the examination. The sudden change caused considerable inconvenience to students, many of whom had travelled from different districts of Punjab. Candidates said they had to arrange transport to the new centre at short notice, causing confusion and anxiety.
Impact on candidates and parents
The delay also affected the commencement of the first shift examination. Students said they had reached the centre well before the reporting time but were left waiting for a long period due to the technical problem. Some candidates expressed concern that the uncertainty before the examination added to their stress. Swaroop Singh, one of the parents accompanying the candidates, also faced inconvenience as they had to rush to the new examination centre without prior information. They said better contingency arrangements should have been in place to deal with technical failures during such important national-level examinations.
Candidates demand better preparedness
Candidates urged the examination authorities to ensure that biometric systems are thoroughly tested before the start of examinations so that students do not have to face unnecessary hardship. They also demanded that adequate backup arrangements be made at all centres to prevent similar incidents in future. Despite the disruption, the affected candidates were eventually able to appear for the examination at the alternate centre. However, many said the unexpected delay and last-minute shifting had caused avoidable harassment.
Sandeep Kumar, incharge of examination at the college said, “There was some technical issue and exam was scheduled to be started at 10 am but got delayed and started by 11 am and few of the students shifted to other college.”
