NEET (UG) retest: 2 mn candidates, 700K personnel, fresh test of trust

The NTA conducted the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination with enhanced security measures and multi-agency support, even as candidates reported overcrowding and delays at some centres

More than 2 million candidates appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) Neet(UG) 2026 re-examination on Sunday, one of the largest entrance tests conducted in the country, even as students at several centres took to social media to complain about long queues, heat exposure, and inadequate facilities.

 

The National Testing Agency (NTA), meanwhile, described the exercise as a coordinated effort involving nearly 700,000 personnel and multiple government agencies.

 

The re-examination saw more than 2 million candidates appear, according to NTA, compared with 2.2 million candidates who had appeared for the original May 3 examination, which recorded a turnout of 96.92 per cent. Detailed attendance figures for the retest were not immediately available.

 

 

In an after-examination note released after the test, NTA said nearly 700,000 officials, police personnel, observers, and examination staff were mobilised to conduct the examination within 37 days. The agency said Aadhaar-based biometric and facial authentication, closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance, signal jammers, and two-layer frisking were deployed across centres, while command-and-control centres were established at the national, state, and district levels to monitor the examination.

 

The re-examination was conducted in 13 languages and involved support from multiple central ministries, state governments, the Central Armed Police Forces, the Indian Air Force, the Department of Posts, the National Informatics Centre, and public-sector banks, according to NTA.

 

The agency said special arrangements were made for more than 10,000 persons with disabilities and around 81 candidates with medical conditions, including a student recovering from a road accident and another undergoing chemotherapy. Several states also provided drinking water, food, shaded waiting areas, ambulances, and free transportation for candidates, it said.

 

Despite the extensive arrangements claimed by authorities, several students and parents posted complaints on social media during and after the examination. Candidates at some centres reported being made to wait outside for long periods in the heat, while others flagged overcrowding, delays in entry procedures, and inadequate seating or waiting facilities for parents. Some posts also questioned crowd-management measures outside examination venues.

 

The medical entrance examination was first held on May 3 but was subsequently cancelled amid concerns over its conduct, prompting the government to order a fresh test on June 21. In the weeks that followed, authorities announced a strengthened security framework for the re-examination, including Aadhaar-linked biometric verification, facial authentication, CCTV monitoring, signal jammers, and enhanced police deployment.

 

Last week, the Centre also temporarily banned the peer-to-peer messaging platform Telegram across India until June 22, ahead of the re-examination scheduled for June 21.

 

The cancellation of the May examination and the subsequent decision to hold a retest extended the admission process for hundreds of thousands of aspirants by several weeks. The intervening period was marked by uncertainty among students and parents, with reports of suicides by some Neet aspirants drawing attention to the pressures associated with high-stakes competitive examinations.

 

In its statement, the agency described the examination as a nationwide effort involving ministerial, administrative, police, and local authorities. “More than 2 million aspirants. One exam,” NTA said, thanking candidates and officials involved in the conduct of the test.