BHOPAL: Two minutes. That was all that separated a Madhya Pradesh farmer’s daughter, Ragini Vishwakarma, from the NEET examination she had spent a year preparing for. As officials refused to let the teenager enter the exam centre in Vidisha district after she arrived just past the deadline, her father pleaded, argued and folded his hands in desperation.When all efforts failed, he banged his head against the iron gate and almost fainted while his daughter stood beside him in tears.Ragini Vishwakarma, a resident of Kula village in Kurwai tehsil, had travelled nearly 70 km with her father, Umesh Singh Vishwakarma, to appear for the NEET. According to the family, they left home with plenty of time, but were delayed by heavy rain and a flat tire on their bike near Dholkhedi village.By the time they reached the Girls’ College examination centre in Vidisha, the clock had ticked past the 1.30 pm entry deadline. Ragini arrived at 1.32 pm.Witnesses said Umesh repeatedly folded his hands before officials and security personnel, explaining how rain and the puncture had delayed their journey. He pleaded for his daughter to be allowed inside, saying a year of preparation was at stake.As his appeals failed, the distraught father allegedly began banging his head against the iron gate of the examination centre. Bystanders and police personnel rushed to stop him as he reportedly suffered minor injuries.Videos from the spot showed both father and daughter sobbing outside the gate, with the visibly shaken student struggling to come to terms with missing the examination.In an attempt to help, exam nodal officer and Kendriya Vidyalaya principal Geeta Bhadauria reached the spot and escorted Ragini inside the centre. However, officials said her biometric verification could not be completed after the entry process had closed, making her ineligible to appear for the examination.The video of the father-daughter duo crying outside the centre has gone viral, with opposition leaders sharing it online. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari said the incident reflected the human cost of rigid procedures.“Behind every student stand years of sacrifices, hopes and dreams. Anyone watching those scenes would be moved to tears,” Patwari said.Two other candidates at the same centre also failed to appear for the examination. One candidate was unable to complete biometric formalities after reaching late, while another was denied entry after arriving with an invalid admit card.
