New Delhi: Whatever their future may hold, the NEET-UG 2026 candidates will never forget the entrance test for admission to medical colleges in India.
On May 3, when more than 22.7 lakh students took the exam at various centres across the country, little did they know what was coming.
Just over a week later, on May 12, the entrance exam was cancelled because of irregularities in the process, specifically a paper leak.
Then, on May 15, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the re-test date — June 21.
After medical college aspirants went through a lot of anxiety and stress for over a month, the crucial re-exam is just hours away.
The Central government, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, his ministry and the NTA have been facing massive backlash over the paper leak that led to the cancellation of the May 3 test.
To ensure an absolutely glitch-free and “a fair, secure and candidate-friendly examination,” the government has left no stone unturned.
The elaborate preparations, never before seen for a national-level exam, have seen unprecedented security measures and steps being put in place with even the Indian Air Force (IAF) being pressed into service.
Detailing security arrangements for the Sunday exam, the NTA said 51,311 jammers, 1,38,560 CCTV cameras and additional exam functionaries — around 6,700 observers at exam centres — have been deployed, among several measures.
CCTV cameras
Each of the 95,000 exam rooms will have a CCTV camera and two invigilators. Every exam centre will have more than 10 additional exam functionaries. AI tools are analysing CCTV footage to detect suspicious activity.
Frisking of candidates
Every student appearing for Sunday’s exam will be subjected to extremely thorough security checks. For frisking of candidates at the exam centres, there will be 38,795 staff. As many as 48,448 personnel have been appointed for biometric verification, with manpower being doubled and supported by face authentication.
OMR sheet collection
Bank officials have been stationed at around 1,500 custodian branches, and the Department of Posts will collect OMR sheets from 700 centres nationwide.
Heavy security deployment
State and district administrations, police, paramilitary forces, the Indian Air Force (IAF), and the Department of Posts have been mobilised. Every centre will have 40-50 security personnel. A nationwide mock drill to test CCTV, jammers, frisking procedures, biometrics and material availability was carried out on June 20.
Candidate-friendly measures
All exam centres will provide drinking water, ORS, ambulances and shaded waiting areas for the benefit of candidates in extremely hot conditions. There will be wall clocks in exam rooms, extra rough-work pages (including accommodations for left-handed candidates) and a longer exam window to account for lengthy entry system and procedure.
Exam timing
The NEET-UG re-exam will take place from 2 pm to 5.15pm in pen-and-paper mode and will be conducted in 551 Indian cities and 14 cities abroad for over 22.79 lakh candidates.
