The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) re-examination was held on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 5,440 centres across India and 14 centres abroad. More than 20 lakh candidates appeared for the re-examination, which was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) amidst heightened security arrangements. The re-examination was held in 13 languages, including Hindi and English, and was NCERT-focused.
However, students found the paper more demanding than the cancelled May test due to a lengthier, more calculation-heavy Physics section. Many students reported that Physics was the hardest section, while Chemistry was moderately challenging, and Biology questions were largely NCERT-based. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waited at the airport after arriving from Kolkata instead of immediately leaving for his residence to ensure candidates did not face inconvenience due to traffic restrictions.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed arrangements for the smooth conduct of the re-examination at the NTA headquarters in Delhi’s Okhla. The NTA made extensive arrangements for all candidates, including more than 10,000 persons with disabilities, and special arrangements were put in place for around 81 candidates with medical conditions. The examination was held under comprehensive security and surveillance, with Aadhaar-based biometric and face authentication, CCTV monitoring, jammers, and two-layer frisking with the support of state police forces.
Command and control centres for CCTV monitoring were established at the national level, at the NTA, and at the Ministry of Education, and at 34 Centrally funded institutions of the Department of Higher Education in every State, and at District Collectorates. The NTA drew the support of the Central Armed Police Forces, the Department of Posts, the Department of Financial Services, the National Informatics Centre, and the Indian Air Force, and the Ministries involved were External Affairs, Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Electronics and IT, Defence, and Education, and banking partners SBI, Canara Bank, PNB, and UCO Bank, alongside State governments and many other stakeholders. Several State governments made arrangements for students and parents, such as shade, water, and food at centres, ambulances and medical facilities on standby, and in many States, free transportation for candidates on exam day.
Around 7 lakh officials, including police teams, observers, and examination staff, were mobilised across India to conduct this examination. The re-examination introduced a set of academic, financial, and psychological hurdles for those who chose to take the test again. Some aspirants and their families flagged commuting difficulties in reaching the examination centres.
Last-minute centre-specific rule changes and security checks led to confusion, with some students denied entry due to minor timing delays. In Bhopal, two students were denied entry to the centre after arriving late. Meanwhile, nearly 79,400 aspirants appeared for the re-examination at 211 centres across Gujarat, which was held amid extensive security arrangements.
The State police deployed drones and additional personnel at the centres to ensure the smooth and fair conduct of the examination. A NEET aspirant wearing a burqa alleged that she was denied entry into an examination centre in Rajasthan’s Ajmer. However, the NTA later clarified that the aspirant was allowed entry into the centre.
According to NTA, more than 95,000 examination rooms were equipped with CCTV surveillance, and a total of 1,38,560 CCTV cameras were installed, with feeds monitored virtually at the National, State, and Ministry levels. To secure the examination against electronic malpractice, 51,311 jammers had been deployed. The NTA dismissed a video claiming paper leak as ‘fake’ and said the NEET re-exam was successfully held.
The agency appealed to students, parents, and the public to rely only on the official website and the agency’s verified social media handles for information and not to amplify such material.
