NTA orders re-exam for 49 candidates after Jaipur power failure

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has ordered a re-examination for 49 candidates who were unable to complete the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) in Jaipur after a power failure disrupted the computer-based examination. The re-test is scheduled for September 1 at 10 am at Rajasthan College of Engineering for Women in Jaipur, as reported by multiple sources.

The disruption occurred at Shri Satya Sai PG College, where 192 candidates were appearing for the first shift of the examination, held from 10 am to noon. Since AIAPGET is conducted online, the power outage immediately affected the conduct of the test. According to the NTA, 49 candidates could not complete the examination due to the power failure at the centre.

What happened at the Jaipur centre

Reports differ on the duration and impact of the power failure. Jaipur City East Additional District Magistrate Narendra Verma said the power disruption lasted between 30 and 45 minutes, beginning around 10:30 am. However, a candidate who spoke to The Tribune said the outage continued for more than two hours, with the exam starting at 10 am but only continuing for about 20 minutes before intermittent power supply. The candidate added that candidates were made to sit in the computer lab to prevent them from coming out and complaining.

The New Indian Express, citing a source familiar with the incident, reported that while 143 candidates waited for power to resume and completed their paper, the 49 students refused to do so and left the exam hall. Candidates who continued were given additional time to compensate for the disruption. The Times of India reported that affected candidates said their computer systems shut down around 20 to 40 minutes into the two-hour exam. Students also raised concerns that while waiting during the disruption, some candidates discussed questions they had attempted, potentially compromising the fairness of the examination.

Authorities reportedly tried using a generator as backup, but it encountered problems. A senior Jaipur discom official, quoted by The Times of India, claimed there was no disruption in power supply and attributed the incident to internal issues at the centre. The situation led to protests inside the examination hall, with students agitating and disturbing others, according to multiple reports. Some students also complained of computers encountering impediments even after restoration of power supply.

Second-shift candidates were also affected, with several still waiting outside the centre even after 3 pm as the disruption continued, as reported by India Today. However, The New Indian Express reported that the second shift, conducted from 3 pm to 5 pm for 196 candidates, proceeded without disruption.

The re-examination on September 1 will involve only the 49 affected Ayurveda candidates, according to The New Indian Express. The NTA said revised admit cards would be issued to the affected candidates.

Action against exam-conducting firm

The NTA has issued a show-cause notice to Eduquity Career Technologies Private Limited over lapses at the centre, and has suspended the firm's empanelment with immediate effect pending resolution of the notice, as reported by Lokmat Times and The Tribune. The agency attributed the power failure at the centre to Eduquity, the exam-conducting agency. The NTA expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to candidates who could not complete the examination.

Exam statistics and context

According to the NTA, AIAPGET was conducted for 36,979 registered candidates in Shift-I on August 22. Of these, 35,837 candidates appeared at 200 centres across the country, while the examination was completed for 35,788 candidates. India Today reported that, overall, 51,482 candidates were registered for AIAPGET 2026, with 49,867 appearing at approximately 205 centres in two shifts.

This incident marks the fourth major examination this year for which the NTA has had to arrange a re-test, according to The New Indian Express. The newspaper reported that NEET-UG was repeated on June 21 following allegations of paper leaks, UGC-NET re-examinations were scheduled in Sociology, English and Commerce, and CUET-UG was re-conducted for 3,765 candidates following a technical glitch.

Earlier, on August 18, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi held a review meeting of the NTA and directed necessary security and infrastructural facilities for smooth conduct of examinations, following the cancellation of three UGC-NET tests after errors in question papers, as reported by Lokmat Times.