UP PET aspirants travel 500 km for exams, sleep on railway station floors overnight

Candidates appearing for Uttar Pradesh's Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) are facing a difficult journey even before reaching their examination halls. With centres allotted 300 to 500 km away from their homes, several aspirants have travelled in overcrowded trains, spent beyond their means and ended up sleeping on railway station floors.

At Bareilly Junction, candidates said the long journeys had left them physically exhausted and mentally stressed, affecting their preparation for the examination.

"During elections, the government arranges polling booths close to voters' homes, but for recruitment examinations, young people are sent 400 to 500 km away," said Sunil Parashari, an MBA student from Barabanki.ASPIRANTS STRUGGLE TO REACH EXAM CENTRES

For some candidates, distant centres have meant missing examinations altogether. Ashish from Azamgarh said he could not appear for an earlier Railway Junior Engineer examination after being allotted a centre in Agra, nearly 500 km away.

Madhu Shivhare from Delhi, who has completed a nursing course, said her PET centre was in Budaun. After struggling through overcrowded trains, she reached Bareilly and spent the night on the railway station floor before continuing her journey.

"I have now lost all hope in the government," she said.

Pushpa Raje from Hardoi, who was resting on the station floor, demanded that examination centres be allotted in candidates' home districts or neighbouring districts.

Candidates also questioned claims of special train arrangements, saying overcrowding continued. Manoj Kumar from Ayodhya said there was barely enough space to stand, with general-ticket passengers struggling to find room even in sleeper and AC coaches.CANDIDATES QUESTION CENTRE ALLOTMENT

The financial burden of travel and accommodation has added to the frustration. Many aspirants said hotels and lodges were beyond their budgets, leaving railway stations as their only option for a night's rest.

PET is a qualifying examination for recruitment to several Group C government posts in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Bareilly administration said arrangements had been made for peaceful and fair conduct of the examination. Nodal officer and Additional District Magistrate (City) Avinash Tripathi said 62,024 candidates were registered across 23 examination centres in the city.