GUWAHATI: Medical aspirants and their parents in violence-plagued Manipur have urged the National Testing Agency (NTA) to postpone the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled on May 7.
The sole national-level medical entrance exam in India, NEET, was to have been taken by more than 5,000 applicants across 10 centres in Imphal, many of whom were from mountainous districts blocked off from the city's valley. But because of the unstable circumstances, in addition to a permanent curfew across the valley and other nearby hill districts, they are unable to get to these centres.
"Given the mayhem and confusion everywhere, it is impossible for our wards to show up for the NEET examination tomorrow (Sunday)." We implore the relevant authorities to postpone the exam for Manipur candidates and hold it when normalcy has returned, group of parents said.
Following a "Tribal Solidarity March" on May 3 to oppose a plan to give Scheduled Tribe status to the main Meitei group concentrated in the Imphal Valley, Manipur descended into violence, burning, and vandalism.
The BJP-led State government's eviction campaign, which began in February, is also alleged to have contributed to the ethnic unrest. The Kuki-Zomi tribal people were said to be the objective of the campaign, which was allegedly against poppy planting in "occupied" forests.
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