Why UAE schools deployed metal detectors, CCTV for over 2,000 Indian expat students' NEET exam
Dubai: More than 2,000 aspiring medical students sat for India's National Eligibility cum Entrance Test –Undergraduate (NEET-UG) in the UAE on Sunday under tight security measures designed to ensure the integrity of the high-stakes examination.
Centres in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah implemented rigorous protocols, including the use of highly sensitive metal detectors, full CCTV coverage and videography of candidates, aligning with directives from India's National Testing Agency (NTA).
The intensified scrutiny follows the 2024 NEET scandal in India, which prompted national outrage over alleged malpractices. In response, the NTA rolled out robust reforms this year. In India, more than 2.27 million students appeared for the exam under similar surveillance, aiming to restore trust in one of the world's largest professional entrance tests.
However, biometric attendance verification, which became mandatory in India, was not enforced in the centres abroad, including in the UAE.
3 UAE centres
One of the largest NEET venues outside India, The Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai, accommodated around 900 candidates. 'This year, approximately 900 aspiring medical students took the exam in our halls, and we had meticulously prepared around 40 examination halls to meet the stringent specifications set by the National Testing Agency, India,' said Punit MK Vasu, CEO of The Indian High Group of Schools.
'To ensure integrity, we deployed close to 110 trained staff members, including coordinators, supervisors, invigilators, and support personnel. Comprehensive security measures were in place, including extensive frisking with highly sensitive metal detectors, temperature checks, and continuous CCTV surveillance.'
Students were videographed throughout the exam for verification purposes. Additionally, a dedicated photo studio was set up at the centre to assist students with missing photos, ensuring a smooth registration process. Exam papers were unsealed under CCTV surveillance in the presence of multiple examiners to prevent tampering.
'We aim to provide a safe, secure, and stress-free environment,' Vasu said. Counsellors and medical staff were also on site, while students of determination were given extended time in compliance with NTA guidelines.
At Sharjah Indian School, around 730 students appeared for the exam. 'Each and every child had to pass through metal detectors. We ensured CCTV coverage, videography, and photography,' said Principal Pramod Mahajan.
In Abu Dhabi, 517 students appeared at Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS). Principal Neeraj Bharagava confirmed that all materials, including recordings and answer sheets, were 'packed in diplomatic bags under the supervision of Indian missions,' to be sent to India.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Al Etihad
Indian smuggler stopped with possums, lizards, tarantulas
10 June 2025 19:01 MUMBAI (AFP)Indian customs officers made the latest "significant" seizure of endangered wildlife from a passenger arriving from Thailand, a government statement said, carrying nearly 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing officers said the passenger, who was also carrying two tarantula spiders and tortoises, had "exhibited signs of nervousness" on arrival at India's financial capital seizure comes after a passenger was stopped smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand, earlier in seized included iguanas, as well as a kinkajou or honey bear -- a small raccoon-like animal from Mexico's rainforests -- as well as six "sugar gliders", a gliding possum found in released by the customs unit showed the six sugar gliders huddled together in a basket, as well as a box crammed with lizards."In a significant operation, customs officers... intercepted an Indian national... leading to the seizure of multiple live and deceased wildlife species, some of which are protected under wildlife protection laws", the Ministry of Finance said in a statement late trade monitor TRAFFIC, which battles the smuggling of wild animals and plants, on Tuesday warned of a "very troubling" trend in trafficking driven by the exotic pet than 7,000 animals, dead and alive, have been seized along the Thailand-India air route in the last 3.5 years, it officers seized dozens of snakes and several turtles from an Indian national flying from Thailand earlier in June. Among them were several spider-tailed horned vipers, a venomous species only described by scientists in 2006 and classed as "near-threatened" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In February, customs officials at Mumbai airport also stopped a smuggler with five Siamang gibbons, a small ape native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Internet shutdown, curfew imposed after fresh clashes in Indian state of Manipur
An Indian state riven by ethnic tensions imposed an internet shutdown and curfew after protesters clashed with security forces over the arrest of some members of a radical group, police said on Sunday. Manipur in India's northeast has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than two years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community that have killed more than 250 people. The latest violence was triggered on Saturday after reports of the arrest of five members, including a commander, of Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei group. Incensed mobs demanding their release stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of the state capital Imphal. Security personnel patrol a street the morning after violent protests in Imphal, Manipur state. AP Manipur police announced a curfew in five districts, including Imphal West and Bishnupur, due to the "developing law and order situation." "Prohibitory orders have been issued by District Magistrates. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the orders," the police said in a statement. Arambai Tenggol, which is alleged to have orchestrated the violence against the Kuki community, has also announced a 10-day shutdown in the valley districts. The state's home ministry has ordered all internet and mobile data services in volatile districts to be shut off for five days in order to bring the latest unrest under control. Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence in 2023, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes according to government figures. Thousands of the state's residents are still unable to return home owing to ongoing tensions. Long-standing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolve around competition for land and public jobs. Rights activists have accused local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain. Agence France-Presse
Dubai Eye
7 days ago
- Dubai Eye
India arrests four people for cricket fans stampede
Police in India's tech capital of Bengaluru have arrested four people, including an official of a top cricket franchise, in connection with a stampede during a trophy celebration that killed 11 people and injured 47, media reported. Four people, three from an event management company and one official from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team, whose victory in the Indian Premier League this week led to fan frenzy, were arrested early on Friday morning, media said. Spokespersons for the team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. On Wednesday, Bengaluru were celebrating their win the previous day over Punjab Kings in the final of the IPL's 18th edition, the world's richest T20 cricket league. The team had given away free passes for the celebration at a stadium in the city but said that numbers would be limited. Thousands of people gathered outside the stadium, and fans without passes tried push through the gates, leading to a stampede. The franchise said later the incident was "unfortunate" and pledged one million Indian rupees to each family of the 11 fans who died on Wednesday. India's head cricket coach Gautam Gambhir said on Thursday he did not support such roadshows and celebrations. "Celebration is important. But more important than that is the life of any person. So, if we are not prepared or if we can't handle the crowd in that way, then we might as well not have these roadshows," Gambhir told reporters.
