AIIMS Recruitment Exam Disrupted by Technical Glitches in Jaipur; Fresh Test Promised
JAIPUR: The integrity of high-stakes recruitment processes has come under fire once again following a chaotic scene at an examination centre in Jaipur. On Monday, August 31, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was forced to cancel its Common Recruitment Examination-5 (CRE-5) re-examination for Group B and Group C non-academic posts after widespread technical failures rendered the test impossible to complete.
The disruption occurred at the iON Digital Zone facility in Sitapura, where candidates had gathered to participate in what was intended to be a smooth re-run of the recruitment drive. Instead, attendees faced a series of cascading issues, including persistent server crashes and recurring power outages.
Candidates Stage Protest as Infrastructure Fails
The examination, which was scheduled to take place from 9 AM to 12 PM, failed to commence on time. As the morning progressed, the technical instability at the centre grew worse. Candidates reported that their computer systems were non-functional for extended periods, leading to mounting frustration among the aspirants.
Unable to complete the computer-based test, many candidates walked out of their exam halls and staged a protest outside the premises. Local police from the Sanganer Sadar station confirmed that the situation escalated due to the lack of a stable testing environment. In response to the unrest, AIIMS authorities officially cancelled the session at the centre and have promised to conduct a fresh examination for the affected candidates in the coming days.
Growing Scrutiny Over Sitapura Testing Facilities
The failure at the Sitapura centre is particularly alarming as it marks the second consecutive day of technical issues at the same venue. Just 24 hours prior, the same facility was the site of significant disruptions during the NEET-PG 2026 examination.
Candidates at the NEET-PG test expressed similar grievances, citing server outages and screen freezes that prevented them from answering questions. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) subsequently acknowledged the failure, attributing the breakdown at the iON Digital Zone—managed by TCS Ltd.—to internal power supply issues.
In light of the NEET-PG incident, the NBEMS has already scheduled a re-examination for affected students at test centre numbers 41,682 and 41,683 to take place on September 5 at 3 PM.
Reliability Concerns Mount
The back-to-back failures have cast a shadow over the reliance on computer-based testing for national-level recruitment and entrance exams. For thousands of candidates who spend months, and sometimes years, preparing for these high-stakes opportunities, the lack of basic infrastructure like stable internet and electricity is both frustrating and professionally damaging.
While AIIMS has assured that a new date for the AIIMS CRE-5 re-examination will be announced soon, the repeated technical lapses at the Sitapura centre have prompted calls for a deeper investigation into the preparedness and quality assurance protocols of designated digital testing facilities.
(With inputs from PTI)
