No fans or ACs: Hyderabad's exam centres become ‘hot boxes’

HYDERABAD: Parents and students appearing for competitive entrance exams have expressed their disappointment over the infrastructure of examination centres in the city.
Traditionally, exams were conducted in schools or colleges using pen and paper, but with the advent of computer-based tests (CBTs), candidates find themselves in cubicles, typing and clicking their way through questions.

Speaking to STOI on condition of anonymity, parents said exam centres are not providing the necessary infrastructure to conduct an exam.
A parent said that most of these CBT examination centres were substandard and did not have adequate infrastructure. Citing the example of the LB Nagar exam centre, the parent said: “There were few to no ceiling fans in the centre, especially in this scorching summer heat.”
The lack of centralised air conditioning has turned the examination halls into ‘hot boxes’, with children suffocating in the middle of the test. “I tried to contact the IT company that is handling the tenders for these computer-based tests, but we could not reach the concerned department,” the parent added.
Another parent, who took his ward for multiple exams to Moula Ali said that there was crowd mismanagement on the part of the exam organisers. “We barely had any space to stand in the area. There was no planning or organisation. I myself tried to register a complaint but could not do so. Parking was available but it could have been better.”
Another parent, who took his child to Moula Ali for several exams, said that the exam organisers had mismanaged the crowd. “We had hardly any space to stand in the area. There was no planning or organisation. I myself tried to lodge a complaint but could not. There was parking, but it could have been better.”