More than 20 lakh medical aspirants appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on Sunday, conducted after the original test was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak.

According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the examination was held at 5,440 centres across India and 14 centres overseas in 13 languages. Around seven lakh personnel, including police, observers and examination staff, were deployed for the exercise.

The NTA said extensive security measures were implemented, including Aadhaar-based biometric and facial authentication, CCTV surveillance, jammers and two-layer frisking. Monitoring centres were set up at the national, state and district levels.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said a few cases involving forged admit cards, impersonation attempts and candidates carrying mobile phones were detected and addressed during the examination.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed arrangements for the re-test at the NTA headquarters in New Delhi. The agency said special arrangements were made for more than 10,000 candidates with disabilities and 81 candidates with medical conditions.

The re-examination followed allegations of question paper leaks in the original test, which triggered protests and demands for accountability. Investigations into the alleged irregularities are continuing.

Candidates reported tighter security arrangements compared with the earlier examination. Reactions to the paper were mixed, with some describing it as manageable while others found it lengthy and challenging.

Several states introduced measures to support candidates and their families, including transport assistance, medical facilities and amenities at examination centres. In Mumbai, special bus services were arranged for candidates, while in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delayed his departure from the airport to avoid traffic disruptions affecting examinees.

Weather-related disruptions were reported in parts of Kolkata, where heavy rain led to waterlogging and traffic congestion. In Bhopal, two candidates were denied entry after arriving late to their examination centre.

The NTA also clarified that a candidate in Rajasthan who alleged she had been denied entry while wearing a burqa was ultimately permitted to take the examination. A separate dispute over dress code checks outside a centre in Ahmedabad was resolved after police explained NTA guidelines.

Nearly 79,400 candidates appeared for the re-test at 211 centres across Gujarat, where state police deployed additional personnel and drones for security monitoring.

Inputs from PTI

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