The exam begins long before the question paper arrives. It begins outside examination centres where students wait in long queues under a scorching sun. It begins after hours of travel from another district or city. It begins without shade, without seating and often without adequate drinking water. Then comes the exam hall. It is 1:30 pm. The electricity fails. Ceiling fans stop. Students continue writing as temperatures outside cross 45°C. Read Full Story For millions of students across India, this is becoming the reality of exam season. India’s biggest examinations, from JEE Main and JEE Advanced to CUET-UG, NEET, UPSC and university exams, continue to be scheduled between April and June, when the country experiences its most intense heatwaves. As extreme heat becomes more frequent and the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination approaches on June 21, the debate is gaining urgency, especially for students who had already appeared on May 3 and now have to go through the entire process again amid extreme summer conditions. Are students competing with each other, or with the climate itself? And more importantly: Is India still following an examination calendar built for a climate that no longer exists? NEET, JEE, UPSC aspirants now face a new test: Extreme heat (Image: PTI) WHEN EXAMS COLLIDE WITH EXTREME HEAT India’s peak examination season arrives at the same time as its most punishing heatwave period, forcing millions of students to sit high-stakes tests under extreme weather conditions. This year, temperatures have climbed close to 50 degrees Celsius in parts of north and central India, turning exam travel, long waits outside centres and hours-long papers into an added physical challenge. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heatwave warnings across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Vidarbha, with similar conditions expected in Rajasthan, Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and parts of Jammu & Kashmir. The concerns are especially significant for NEET-UG, one of India’s largest entrance exams, with over 22 lakh aspirants often travelling across districts and states, exposing many to prolonged heat stress even before entering the examination hall. “Competitive exams like NEET, JEE, UPSC Civil Services Examination and CUET are already emotionally and mentally demanding for students,” says Avinash Agarwal, Director, Disha Publication. Many aspirants travel long distances, wait outside centres for hours, and often enter examination halls physically exhausted even before the paper begins, he explains. He adds that with temperatures crossing 45°C in several regions, physical strain increasingly affects concentration, stamina and performance. ARE STUDENTS WRITING EXAMS, OR ENDURING CONDITIONS? The debate moved beyond theory when students at Nagpur University raised concerns over exam conditions during the ongoing heatwave. Students reported power cuts, poor ventilation, overcrowded halls and lack of cooling arrangements during afternoon exams, while outages also disrupted CCTV systems and reportedly led to theft incidents. Many urged authorities to shift exams to morning slots, raising a larger question: Can students perform fairly in high-stakes exams while dealing with extreme heat, dehydration and fatigue? A similar concern is being echoed by education administrators. “This is largely due to an academic cycle that just doesn’t suit Indian conditions,” says Commodore SR Sridhar (Retd), Registrar, IIIT-Bangalore. He adds that the issue goes beyond weather disruptions and reflects a larger systemic challenge. “The academic calendar is tightly wound with no leeway to manoeuvre between school and college academic cycles,” Sridhar adds. When NEET, JEE, UPSC meet heatwaves: Is India testing merit or endurance? THE INVISIBLE IMPACT OF HEAT ON PERFORMANCE Extreme heat is not merely uncomfortable, it affects cognition. Research globally has linked excessive heat exposure to Reduced concentration and memory retention Increased fatigue and slower response time Higher stress and irritability Risk of dehydration, dizziness and heat-related illness For examinations where minutes determine ranks and ranks determine futures, even small physiological disadvantages can matter. A student competing for a medical or civil services seat should be tested on knowledge, not on how well they tolerate a 45°C afternoon. Agarwal says this raises an important fairness question. "Exams should test preparation and problem-solving ability, not a student’s capacity to endure extreme weather." He argues that climate-sensitive examination planning is becoming increasingly necessary through improved centre infrastructure, hydration support, better waiting arrangements and weather-conscious scheduling. "The focus should be on making the examination experience more student-centric as climate conditions become increasingly severe," he says. WHY NOT SHIFT THE NATIONAL EXAM
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