NEET exams
Students appearing for National Eligibility and Entrance Test being frisked before entering exam hall in Chennai, on May 7, 2017.IANS

Defying COVID-19 fears, as many as 1,19,587 students wrote their National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on Sunday in 298 examination centres across Karnataka.

The examination went smoothly across the state without any incident being reported. The NEET is conducted to select seats for Medical and Dental Science courses across the country.

The state government had taken all precautionary steps like thermal screening and sanitisers for both students and staff members of all 298 centres.

Across the country, as many 15,97,433 students appeared for this examination

Across the country, as many 15,97,433 students appeared for this examination. The test was conducted in cities like Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Udupi, Davanagere, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwarda and in Kalburgi districts.

As per the COVID norms, the number of students per call was restricted to 12 instead of 24 last year, as a result the number of examination centres this year was at an all-time high, with 298 centres when compared to last year's 194 centres across the state.