The incident happened in Gurugram.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2024 across various centers nationwide on Sunday, with lakhs of students appearing for it. The first session began at 9 am. Recently, a video of an aspirant being denied entry at an exam centre in Gurugram after she arrived late is making rounds online.
In the viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user Sakshi. It shows the aspirant's mother in an unconscious state. Meanwhile, her father can be seen crying and wailing. The aspirant says in the clip, "Papa! paani piyo. Kyun aise kar rahe ho? Papa, hum agli baar de denge. Kuch aisi baat nahi hai (Papa, please have water and calm down. Why are you behaving like this? I will appear for the exam next year. It's not a big deal)."
The father adds, "Ek saal gaya baabu hamara (A year has been wasted)." To which, she replies, "Koi baat nahi! Naa umar nikali jaa rahi (It's not a big deal. I am still young)." The father and daughter attempt to comfort the crying mother who repeatedly says, "Naa jaungi (I won't leave)."
The user said in the caption of the clip, "Heartbreaking video. Condition of Parents who came along with their daughter for the UPSC Prelims exam today, as their daughter was not allowed for being late. Exam starts at 9: 30 am, and they were at the gate at 9 am but were not allowed in by the principal of S.D. Adarsh Vidyalaya, Sector 47, Gurugram."
Since being shared, the clip has amassed 2.5 million views and seven thousand likes on the microblogging platform.
"Respect for his daughter to be strong in this condition," said a user.
"Principal is right here. No one is allowed after reporting time," another added.
A person wrote, "Even I attended exam yesterday, they allowed me in after 9 AM too. But some colleges, it depends on type of principal present. He allowed candidates till 9:25 AM and closed the gate afterwards. He was kind."
"At the risk of sounding cruel, this is the kind of pressure that parents put which makes children think failing an exam is akin to the end of life. Poor kid seems to have better emotional regulation than her mother," another person commented.
A person said, "God, imagine the kind of pressure that girl must be under to crack the exams if the parents are behaving this way in public."
"This is an extreme level of toxicity. I can't imagine the pressure these parents are placing on their child, who now not only has to deal with the disappointment of not being able to take the exam but also has to console the parents' childish behavior," stated a person.
A seventh person said, "I don't understand 'not allowing'. This is a pointless thing which colleges / schools do which I have never understood. If the candidate is late, they get less time. Onus lies on them to finish their paper. Allow them yaar! FFS. Be logical for once."