Bhubaneswar” It was a double whammy for a medical aspirant from Bhubaneswar. Already stressed over the upcoming NEET-UG re-examination, she downloaded her admit card only to find she had been allotted an exam centre nearly 1,500 km away in Dehradun.
Thankfully, after a tense 24 hours, the National Testing Agency (NTA) reassigned her venue back to Bhubaneswar.
“Heartfelt thanks to the MoE, NTA & all concerned authorities for restoring the NEET examination centre from Dehradun to Bhubaneswar. This timely decision has brought immense relief to the ward of an ESM [Ex-Serviceman] & the family. Grateful for the prompt & compassionate response,” posted the Veterans’ Club Odisha last night, which had actively raised the grievance on X (formerly Twitter).
The candidate, Sanjana Sanjibanee, had originally appeared for the exam on May 3 at the College of Agriculture, OUAT. However, she was shocked to find her retest centre listed as Kendriya Vidyalaya, Raipur, located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Given the extremely short notice, traveling across the country was nearly impossible for the family. Her father, Sanjay Biswal, an ex-serviceman, approached the Indian Ex-Services League (IESL), Odisha, and reached out to the relevant authorities. The Veterans’ Club Odisha amplified their plight on social media, urging officials to re-allot a nearby centre.
The Biswals also contacted the NTA helpline on Thursday and were advised to send an email. “We received a call from the NTA asking whether we wanted the centre changed. We requested a shift to Bhubaneswar because we had never opted for Dehradun in the first place,” Biswal told TOI.
The Veterans’ Club Odisha later shared screenshots of the Ministry of Education’s prompt email response alongside the updated admit card reflecting the venue change.
Meanwhile, around 57,000 students are set to appear for the retest across 132 centres in 27 towns across Odisha. To assist candidates, the state government has announced free bus services for aspirants and one accompanying guardian on exam day. In Khurda district alone, 108 buses will operate from key transit points—including the Bhubaneswar railway station (Master Canteen), Baramunda bus stand, Khurda Road station, and the Khurda bus stand—directly to the designated centres. Candidates can avail of the free ride simply by showing their NEET admit cards.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma stated that the government is fully prepared, with initial dress rehearsals completed and another round planned. Exam centres will feature a heavy police presence, biometric verification, 100% CCTV coverage, and strict, multi-layered frisking. Question papers will also be transported under tight security protocols.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg recently reviewed the state’s readiness, directing district administrations and police forces to ensure a smooth, incident-free process. Observers from both the NTA and the state government will be on-site to monitor the proceedings. Furthermore, Odisha DGP Y B Khurania has overseen the security arrangements, which include a three-tier security system, active social media monitoring, and emergency readiness protocols.
