Union Minister Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar said on Monday that the students in Karnataka who missed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test on Sunday will get another chance to take the exam.

“Happy to announce that Karnataka students who missed NEET exam, due to railway delay will get another chance,” Javadekar said on Twitter.

The National Testing Agency said the exams have been rescheduled for May 20 from 10 am to 1 pm for students who failed to appear for the test in Bengaluru due to a delay in Hampi Express. The agency also said that candidates who were scheduled to take the test in Hindi at a centre in Siliguri can also take the test on May 20. The students in Siliguri could not take the test as the question papers were not available in Hindi.

Hundreds of students travelling to Bengaluru to take the test were delayed as the Hampi Express from the northern part of the state was late by seven hours on Sunday. The train which was scheduled to reach Bengaluru at 7 am arrived at 3 pm. The exam was scheduled to start at 2 pm.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had said on Sunday evening that some students also missed the exam as the test centres were changed and not communicated to candidates. He had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Javadekar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to ensure the students get another opportunity to take the test.

Kumaraswamy thanked Javadekar and the Human Resource Development ministry “for considering the request and helping our students”.

Karnataka Chief Secretary Vijaya Bhaskar had reached out to the Ministry of Human Resource Development after Kumaraswamy had a meeting with Bhaskar and the Medical Education Department. “The CS [chief secretary], as directed by the CM [chief minister], requested HRD ministry to let students take the exam again,” the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted on Monday afternoon.

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for the incident. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad had staged a rally demanding a re-examination for the students.

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