SHILLONG, June 19: In what many are calling a glaring example of misplaced priorities, the district administration of East Khasi Hills has officially confirmed that a Union minister’s visit to PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya, EAC Headquarters, Upper Shillong, will coincide with the NEET (UG) re-examination on June 21 — potentially throwing the futures of anxious candidates into disarray.
The administration’s advisory itself reveals the impending disruption: due to the VVIP visit and the stringent security protocols that inevitably accompany it, traffic movement along key stretches of road leading to Upper Shillong will be regulated. This is expected to cause temporary but significant traffic congestion and delays, directly affecting candidates allotted to the KV EAC examination centre.
Critics are questioning why such a high-profile visit was not rescheduled, given that lakhs of students have already endured the stress of a postponed exam due to question paper leaks.
They argue that VVIP protocols in India are notorious for involving road closures, extensive diversions, heavy police deployment, motorcades, and “sterile zones” that bring normal life to a standstill.
Students travelling from across Shillong and surrounding areas to this particular centre now face the real risk of getting stuck in gridlock, arriving late, exhausted, or under immense pressure — all of which can severely impact performance in a make-or-break medical entrance examination.
The advisory blandly asks candidates to “reach the centre well in advance” of their reporting time and “plan their travel accordingly.”
With as many as 4,164 students set to appear the NEET re-test on June 21, critics question why the convenience of one minister outweighs the aspirations of thousands of NEET candidates.
Incidentally, a high-level review meeting chaired by Secretary of Health Department, B. Mawlong, on Friday discussed arrangements for the re-exam, stressing the need for a “peaceful, secure and hassle-free” environment.
Officials from the respective districts briefed the chair on the measures undertaken to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination, including security arrangements, transportation facilities, uninterrupted power supply, deployment of personnel and other logistical preparations.
A total of 14 examination centres have been designated across Meghalaya for the conduct of NEET-UG 2026. Of these, 10 centres are located in Shillong, two in Tura, one in Jowai and one at the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA) campus near Umiam in Ri-Bhoi.
Yet the elephant in the room remains unaddressed: how can the environment be truly hassle-free when VVIP security is simultaneously choking vital roads on exam day?
