Srinagar, Sep 30: Engineering aspirant Toiba Ashraf traveled more than 80 kilometers from South Kashmir’s Kulgam to reach Srinagar’s Tourist Reception Center (TRC) to submit online form for JEE at government’s internet kiosk.
Accompanied by her mother, Toiba patiently waited for hours at TRC to use the internet. Since it was the last day for the submission of forms, she was growing restive by the minute as internet was playing hide and seek.
“Students are facing lot of difficulties because they have to rely on internet to submit their exam forms. Due to unavailability of internet, student community has suffered huge losses. We are extremely worried about our children,” said Subgat, mother of Toiba.
Despite reaching early in the morning, Tioba figured at serial number 27 in the list of candidates who had queued up at the internet facility. “If there was internet facility available in our district, why would we travel such a long distance?” she asked.
Student community has been at the receiving end of the ongoing internet blockade in Kashmir. Though, government has set up internet kiosks at TRC, students have to wait for hours to submit their forms. Giving the limited number of internet kiosks, most of the students are unable to submit their forms.
Hundreds of candidates line up at TRC from early morning every day to apply for different competitive exams including GATE, B.Ed, IGNOU, LIC, NEET, UGC-NET and PG-NET.
Mumin Baseer, JEE aspirant from Srinagar, said he has been waiting since 8am at the facility but the staff turned up only at 10am.
“There are more than 200 candidates who have to submit forms for various examinations. My serial number is 85. Authorities should have given preferences to JEE as today is the last date of submission of forms,” he said.
Earlier, government spokesperson Rohit Kansal had said that internet kiosks will be opened in every district where people can use internet to submit exam forms.
