The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) entrance examination was conducted in the Salt Lake Sector Five area, near Kolkata, on Thursday amid the total lockdown across West Bengal. As compared to the previous year, fewer students appeared for the exam, The Indian Express reported.
The public transport is not functioning in the state. The students took private vehicles to reach the centre to write the entrance exam. Social-distancing norms were strictly followed, and students were allowed to enter the examination hall only if they wore masks. Proper arrangements for thermal screening and sanitisation were made.
“Student count was low maybe because there was no transportation available in the city. My dad had pre-booked a car so that we could reach the centre on time,” said Pratibha Singh, one of the aspirants to the news organisation.
Students entering the hall were made to maintain a queue.
Shatadru Mukherjee, a resident of Shibpur in Howrah, said, “We were asked to reach one hour early at the examination centre. We reached at 7.30 am. There was no traffic, still I started early. I had booked a private car that charged Rs 600 to drop me to Sector 5.”
“All norms were being followed but the number of students was really less. I believe not everyone could have managed to book private vehicles. I have my car so I reached smoothly,” said Aditi Biswas, a student from Barrackpore who has applied to the LLB course at the university.
K J Singh, whose daughter appeared for the exam, blamed the state government for not ensuring transportation during emergencies.
“I do not understand the logic behind this type of lockdown. If the state really wanted to break the chain, continuous 10 days of lockdown, or say one-week lockdown, would have helped. There is so much confusion about lockdown dates in Bengal. Suddenly, we came to know that it’s a lockdown on August 27, I hired a private vehicle and paid Rs 1,500 for the day so that my daughter could write the exam, many couldn’t,” he said.
“This type of lockdown is making the situation worse now. People are treating these lockdowns as picnic days, henceforth there are more people than usual in markets the day before lockdowns. Ultimately, this will spread the disease more. Now, it seems political parties have some agenda behind this type of lockdown”, Singh added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, last week announced a complete lockdown across the state on September 7, 11, and 12, and the existing rules, which were in force till August 31, will remain in effect till September 20.
