Bengaluru: At least 15 students were not allowed to write Phase 2 of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination as they were late by three minutes. Tension gripped the exam venue at the Army Public School on Kamaraj Road, when eight students were not allowed to enter the premises.

These eight students, accompanied by their parents, were upset as the army men refused them entry and closed the gate. The rule is that students will not be allowed to enter the examination hall, even if they are a minute late than scheduled time (9.30 am to 1 pm). The students arrived at 9.33 am.

Driven to desperation, the students tried to scale the gate to reach the exam centre, but they were blocked by army men. They even used wooden sticks to drive them away. Some students even started crying. The conflict was settled once the police reached the spot.

“I actually arrived just a few minutes before the exam started, but the army men said that I was too late. I haven’t had any luck through CET. I was banking on writing NEET and getting into a good private medical college,” said a student.

The NEET, meant for students applying to medical and dental private colleges, was conducted in two phases. The first was held on May 1. Parents of some of the children, who were barred for arriving late, felt it was unfair as their wards would now have to try other courses, which are not really their first choice.

As many as seven students were barred at another examination centre at JSS Public School, at Banashankari 2nd phase. Here too parents were seen pleading and getting into heated arguments with examination authorities.