Bengaluru: A six-hour delay in the train service on Sunday caused a major upset in the state for around 500 students, who missed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) as a result.

The NEET, conducted by the National testing Agency, is held once a year and is a gateway for students aspiring to enter the medical field. From across the country, around 13 lakh students will be taking the exam this year.

The exam was scheduled to be held today at 1.30 PM, however, the Hampi Express-16591 that plies from North Karnataka to Bengaluru, in which the around 500 students were travelling would reach its destination at 2.30 PM.

According to the railway officials, the delay was caused due to the maintenance work going on in Guntkal in the South Central division.

Several of the students sent SOS messages to the Human Resource Development ministry to get their attention to the train delay and asked if they could be allowed to answer the exam.

One worried student said that his exam centre is in the Dayanand Sagar College in Bengaluru and expressed his anxiety about not making it to the exam.

Another student took to Twitter saying, “@PrakashJavdekar sir we the students who are appearing for neet 2019 from ballari and hubli cities to Bengaluru train number 16591 name Hampi Express. Thus train has to reach bengaluru city at 7 AM still we are in Arsikere (180km ) far away from Bengaluru. (sic)”

Taking to Twitter about the issue, former chief minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at the central government and the railway ministry for the tardiness of the trains. “Mr. @narendramodi, You pat your own back for others’ achievements but will you also take the responsibility for your cabinet min’ incapabilities. Hundreds of students in Karnataka may not be able to take up NEET because of delay in the train services (sic),” he said.

Speaking directly to the Prime Minister, the former CM wrote in another tweet, “Ask @PiyushGoyal to work properly for next few days and then we will set it right. Also, ensure that the aggrieved students get another chance to write NEET exam. (sic)”

Responding to the disastrous situation, E Vijaya, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway said that all the reserved passengers of the train were informed about the “diversion and rescheduling on the mobile numbers given at the time of reserving tickets” by SMS.