22 Lakh Students, 5,440 Centres, 1 Lakh Cameras: NEET Re-Exam Ends

Lakhs of medical aspirants appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) re-exam today, a test not just for them but also for the National Testing Agency and the Centre, which have pulled out all stops to rebuild trust after a paper leak marred the previous attempt in May.

The leak, and the subsequent cancellation of the May 3 exam, prompted outrage, protests and calls for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The Centre, while expressing regret, maintained that it took the harder route by prioritising transparency and facing the problem head-on by cancelling the earlier exam and opting for a fresh one.

The re-test was held from 2 pm to 5.15 pm. 

The National Testing Agency had asked students to carry their admit card, a valid photo ID and two passport-size photographs and report to their centres between 11 am and 1.30 pm.

Preparations

As part of measures to secure the chain of custody of the question papers, they were airlifted by the Indian Air Force. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, also conducted a nationwide mock drill on Saturday to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the test. 

Pradhan chaired a high-level review meeting on Thursday and directed authorities to remain vigilant and fully prepared, emphasising that the examination process must adhere to the highest standards of integrity, transparency and efficiency.

He announced that officers designated by the Ministry of Education would be deployed across states to coordinate activities related to the re-examination and report to a central command centre headed by the NTA Director General.

Security

The NTA emphasised that it had made "comprehensive arrangements" to hold the medical entrance exam across 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 centres abroad, in English as well as 12 Indian languages.

The examination, it said, was being held in more than 95,000 examination rooms, each equipped with CCTV cameras. 

"A total of 1,38,560 CCTV cameras have been installed, with feeds monitored virtually at the National, State and Ministry levels. To secure the examination against electronic malpractice, 51,311 jammers have been deployed," the agency said in a statement.

The NTA stressed that state and district administrations had been mobilised and the police, paramilitary forces, the Indian Air Force and the Department of Posts had been deployed to make sure security remains strong and the logistics were handled end-to-end without any issues. 

"On average, around 40 to 50 security personnel have been deployed at each examination centre. Bank officials have been deployed at approximately 1,500 bank branches holding the confidential material, and the Department of Posts will coordinate its teams for the collection of OMR sheets at around 700 collection centres across the country," the NTA said. 

"Review meetings have been held with the Chief Secretaries and senior officials of all States, and districts have confirmed centre arrangements. A nationwide mock drill was conducted on 20 June 2026 to verify all systems - jammers, CCTV, frisking staff and biometrics. Coordinators have verified the examination material held in the custodian banks and confirmed its availability for the examination," it noted. 

Emphasising that action will be taken against rumour-mongering and fraudulent claims of any paper leak, the NTA advised students and parents to rely only on official communication.

Exam Centre Glitch?

There was a flutter on the eve of the NEET re-exam when it emerged that a candidate from Nagpur was allotted a centre in Abu Dhabi. Abdullah Mohammad Talib discovered the discrepancy after downloading his Re-NEET 2026 admit card from the official website, and his family said he had selected Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara as the preferred examination cities during the application process.

After investigating the claim, the NTA said that the city change was made through the candidate's own registered login, "with a consistent single-user access pattern". It explained that it had later received a request to change the centre and allotted one in Nagpur.

"The NTA's priority is that no candidate misses the examination over an administrative doubt," it said.

Protests demanding Pradhan's resignation, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, continued in Delhi. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who has been amplifying student voices on the issue, also took a dig at the Centre, asking it to ensure the students don't have to undergo any stress this time.

Addressing students in a video on X, Gandhi said, "I hope you have a wonderful, excellent exam and you all do really, really well. Remember, we are with you, we want to look after you, protect you and make sure that you have a brilliant future."

"To the Prime Minister and to the government, I would like to say, please, please ensure that there are no glitches this time. The students have been through enough stress and they really cannot afford to go through it again," Gandhi said.