NEET UG 2026 re-exam today : Dharmendra Pradhan assures 22 lakh students to appear without fear
More than 22 lakh students are set to appear for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on Sunday, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging candidates to take the test with confidence and without anxiety. Speaking ahead of the examination, Pradhan said he had full faith in the National Testing Agency (NTA), state governments, district administrations and the country’s education system to conduct the medical entrance examination smoothly.
“Sit without fear and without worry. You will surely do well,” the minister said while extending his best wishes to candidates.
Pradhan also cautioned individuals against actions that could affect students’ mental well-being, stressing that the focus should remain on ensuring a stress-free examination environment. He appealed to those making statements around the examination process to act responsibly and avoid creating unnecessary concern among students on the eve of the test.
During his interaction with reporters, Pradhan also announced that the re-evaluation and re-verification process for CBSE Class 12 board examinations had been nearly completed. According to the minister, the revised results of around 15.5 lakh students who had applied for re-evaluation or re-verification are ready and will be released by the Central Board of Secondary Education soon. He added that efforts had been made to ensure the process remains error-free.
Ahead of the examination, the NTA issued important instructions for candidates. Entry to examination centres began at 11 am, while the last entry time was fixed at 1:30 pm.
Candidates have been asked to carry their admit cards, a valid photo identity card and two passport-sized photographs. The agency also advised students not to bring prohibited items and to reach their centres early after accounting for possible traffic delays.
The NTA said comprehensive arrangements have been put in place to conduct the examination across 5,440 centres in 551 cities across India and 14 centres abroad.
The test will be conducted in English and 12 Indian languages. More than 95,000 examination rooms have been prepared, each equipped with CCTV surveillance.
According to the agency, 1,38,560 CCTV cameras have been installed and are being monitored at national, state and ministry levels. Additionally, 51,311 jammers have been deployed to prevent electronic malpractice during the examination.
Security personnel, police forces, paramilitary units, the Indian Air Force and the Department of Posts have also been mobilised to support logistics and security operations.
To improve verification procedures, the agency has deployed 38,795 frisking personnel and 48,448 biometric verification staff. Face authentication systems have also been integrated to strengthen identity checks while reducing waiting times at centres.
A Centre Systems Officer has been stationed at each examination centre to monitor CCTV feeds and address technical issues immediately if required.
The NTA has advised students and parents to rely only on official communications and warned that action would be taken against those spreading rumours or making false claims regarding paper leaks.
A day before the examination, concerns emerged after a candidate from Nagpur reportedly found that his admit card mentioned Abu Dhabi as the examination centre despite selecting cities in Maharashtra during the application process.
Following an inquiry, the NTA said the city change had been made through the candidate’s registered login and later clarified that the examination centre was subsequently allotted in Nagpur after a request for correction.
The agency maintained that its priority was to ensure that no candidate misses the examination because of administrative issues.
Meanwhile, protests seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued in Delhi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also addressed students through a video message, wishing them success in the examination and urging the government to ensure a smooth process. He said students had already faced considerable stress and should not be subjected to any further difficulties during the re-examination.