At least 30 aspirants from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh were reportedly unable to appear for the JEE Main 2025 examination, the premier engineering entrance test, due to traffic delays caused by the convoy of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The students claimed that they were stopped en route to the exam centres because of the convoy, leading them to miss the critical examination. "Our entire year is wasted now," said JEE aspirants.
However, the Visakhapatnam Police have denied these claims, stating that the convoy had no connection to the delay. Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan has ordered an official inquiry into the incident. The incident occurred near the ION Digital Zone in Visakhapatnam, where the exam was scheduled to begin at 8:30 am. A woman whose son was one of the affected candidates said, “He had to appear for the JEE Mains to get admission into an NIT, but he couldn't reach the centre on time due to traffic congestion.”
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Another parent stated, “We were stuck in traffic because Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan was on his way to Araku. Traffic was halted, and roads were cleared for his convoy. We reached NAD Junction at 7:50 a.m., but it took us 42 minutes to reach the centre from there. By the time we arrived, the gates were closed.” She added, “Despite our repeated requests, my daughter was not allowed inside. She was just two minutes late. If the centre had allowed even a five-minute grace period, a whole year wouldn't have been wasted.”
In response, the Visakhapatnam police issued a statement asserting that the deputy chief minister’s convoy passed the area at 8:41 am.—after the exam had already begun and therefore had no role in delaying students. They clarified that students were required to report to the centre between 7:00 and 8:30 am. The matter has triggered political and public debate, with authorities now investigating the exact cause of the delay and whether any administrative lapses contributed to the students missing the exam.