From Rajasthan to Uttarakhand, students hire helicopter to make it to exam centre

What would normally have been a long, difficult road trip turned into an airborne journey for four Rajasthan students. Stranded by landslides and with taxis refusing the dangerous mountain roads, the students hired a helicopter from Haldwani to reach their exam centre in Munsyari, paying Rs 10,400 each to make it on time.

Unable to find taxis willing to navigate the hazardous Haldwani–Pithoragarh and Tanakpur–Pithoragarh routes, Omaram Jat, Magaram Jat, Prakash Godara Jat and Lucky Chaudhari arranged a chartered helicopter from Haldwani. Each student paid Rs 10,400 to make the journey.

Helicopter Charter Ensures Timely Arrival

The students, enrolled at Uttarakhand Open University in Haldwani, had reached the city on Monday for their examination scheduled on Wednesday at the Government Degree College in Munsyari. 

Normally, the 280 km road journey from Haldwani to Munsyari takes around ten hours, but the helicopter cut travel time dramatically to just 25–30 minutes, allowing them to reach the centre on time, as reported by TOI.

The incident underscores the challenges faced by students in remote and hilly regions during the monsoon season, when landslides frequently disrupt road connectivity and access to educational institutions.