Hyderabad: More than 22 lakh medical aspirants will appear for the NEET UG 2026 re examination on Sunday as the National Testing Agency prepares for one of its most closely watched tests after the cancellation of the earlier exam over a paper leak row.
The re examination will be held from 2 pm to 5.15 pm across thousands of centres in India and abroad. Candidates with disabilities who are eligible for compensatory time will be allowed to write the exam till 6.20 pm.
The NEET re exam comes weeks after the Centre cancelled the May 3 test following outrage over a question paper leak. The move triggered protests by students and political parties, while the government said it chose to cancel the exam in the interest of transparency and fairness.
The National Testing Agency has asked candidates to report to their centres between 11 am and 1.30 pm with their admit card, a valid photo identity card and two passport size photographs. Entry will not be allowed after the closing time.
NTA deploys massive security cover for NEET re exam
The NTA said it has made extensive arrangements for the re examination across 5,440 centres in 551 Indian cities and 14 centres abroad. The exam will be conducted in more than 95,000 rooms and each room has been equipped with CCTV surveillance as part of tighter monitoring measures.
According to the agency, over 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras and 51,311 jammers have been deployed to prevent electronic malpractice. It also said state and district administrations, police, paramilitary forces, the Indian Air Force and the Department of Posts have been mobilised to ensure secure movement of confidential material and smooth conduct of the examination.
Question papers are being airlifted by the Indian Air Force to maintain the security of the chain of custody. A nationwide mock drill was also conducted on Saturday to check the functioning of jammers, CCTV systems, biometric verification and frisking arrangements ahead of the examination.
The NTA said around 40 to 50 security personnel have been deployed on average at each centre. It added that bank officials have been stationed at about 1,500 branches holding confidential material, while postal teams will coordinate the collection of OMR sheets from around 700 collection centres across the country.
Candidate verification has also been strengthened. The agency said 38,795 frisking staff and 48,448 biometric personnel have been deployed, with biometric verification supported by face authentication. A Centre Systems Officer has also been posted at each examination centre to monitor CCTV feeds and resolve technical issues on the spot.
On the eve of the examination, the NTA also addressed a complaint from a Nagpur candidate who was initially allotted a centre in Abu Dhabi. The agency said the city change had been made through the candidate’s own registered login and later corrected after receiving a request, ensuring the student would not miss the examination.
The re examination remains a major credibility test for the NTA and the Centre after the controversy surrounding the earlier paper leak. The agency has warned that strict action will be taken against rumour mongering and fake claims related to the examination and has advised students and parents to rely only on official communication.
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