Jaipur Power Failure: 49 Ayush PG Aspirants to Get Re-test After Outage Disrupts Exam

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a re-examination for 49 candidates who could not complete the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) at a Jaipur centre due to a power failure. The re-test will be held on September 1 at the Rajasthan College of Engineering for Women in Jaipur.

The incident occurred at the Satya Sai PG College in Transport Nagar, where 192 candidates were appearing for the computer-based test on August 22. According to candidates, the power went out for about 20 minutes during the two-hour examination, which was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Several computer systems stopped working, and the invigilator initially attributed the outage to a short circuit, assuring candidates that power would be restored shortly.

However, the power was not restored for a considerable period, leading candidates to step out of the centre and protest. Some candidates alleged that during the disruption, a few individuals were talking among themselves and copying, reportedly in the presence of the centre observer, who did not intervene. One candidate said, "There was power outage multiple times and there was no backup. During this, some candidates started talking and some came out. I was asked to sit in front of the computer even if it was not working. How could I sit when the computer was not working?"

The centre observer, on the other hand, stated that backup could not be provided due to a technical fault and that a report was being sent to the NTA. The testing agency has blamed Eduquity Career Technologies Private Limited, the agency responsible for conducting the test at that centre, for the power failure.

The AIAPGET is conducted for admission to postgraduate MD, MS and PG diploma courses in traditional Indian medicine and homoeopathy systems. The NTA stated that the examination was conducted for 36,979 registered candidates in shift 1, of which 35,837 appeared at 200 centres across the country. Of these, 35,788 candidates completed the exam. The 49 affected candidates at the Jaipur centre will now get a fresh opportunity to take the test.

This incident highlights the importance of reliable infrastructure for high-stakes computer-based examinations. The NTA's decision to hold a re-test aims to ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged due to circumstances beyond their control. The allegations of copying during the disruption will likely be part of the report submitted to the NTA, and the agency may take appropriate action as per its rules.