NEET-UG Re-examination conducted peacefully amidst tight security across country
This re-examination was conducted after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the original exam held on May 3, amidst investigations into allegations of a question paper leak.
Candidates stand in a queue before entering Gargi Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-exam at Green Park in New Delhi on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Photo: IANS/Prem Nath Pandey)
New Delhi: The re-examination for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) was held on Sunday across India and at locations abroad. Stringent security arrangements were put in place to ensure the exam was conducted fairly and smoothly. It proved to be one of the largest and most closely monitored examinations in the country's history.
This re-examination was conducted after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the original exam held on May 3, amidst investigations into allegations of a question paper leak.
Over 22 lakh candidates appeared for the re-examination, which was conducted at 5,440 centers across 551 cities in India and 14 locations abroad. The exam took place from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM, with extra time granted to differently-abled candidates.
According to the NTA, approximately seven lakh officials including exam staff, police personnel, and observers were involved in this nationwide exercise, while over 95,000 exam rooms were kept under CCTV surveillance using more than 1.38 lakh cameras. Over 51,000 signal jammers were also deployed to prevent electronic malpractice.
The re-examination was conducted peacefully in most states. A common consensus emerged from several regions that the Biology section was relatively easy and syllabus-based, Chemistry was of a moderate difficulty level, while Physics proved to be the most challenging section.
In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where over 1.37 lakh students appeared across approximately 400 centers, candidates described the Physics section as difficult and time-consuming. Similar feedback was received from Tamil Nadu, where around 1.42 lakh candidates took the exam. Students in Chennai noted that the Physics section contained numerous analytical and numerical questions, making it more difficult than the Biology and Chemistry sections.
In Gujarat, candidates from Rajkot, Ahmedabad, and Surat described the Biology paper as manageable but found Physics and Chemistry relatively challenging.
In Telangana, police personnel stepped in to assist candidates who had inadvertently arrived at the wrong exam centers. In Hyderabad, officials transported students to their correct centers to ensure they arrived before the reporting deadline.
Across various states, officials arranged drinking water, refreshments, medical facilities, and waiting areas for parents and guardians outside the exam centers. Candidates generally observed that security arrangements were significantly tighter compared to the previous examination. Many felt that improved frisking, biometric verification, and surveillance systems were necessary to restore confidence in the examination process.
In a detailed statement issued after the exam, the NTA described the re-examination as a collective national effort involving multiple ministries, state governments, law enforcement agencies, and educational institutions. The agency stated that special arrangements were made for over 10,000 differently-abled candidates and dozens of others with serious health issues.
(With IANS inputs)
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