NEET-UG 2026 retest: Nagpur student gets Abu Dhabi centre, NTA swings into action

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to conduct the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, but a fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the test. In a reported case of mismanagement, Abdullah, a student from Nagpur, was allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for the re-exam, leaving him and his family distressed with only a day left before the examination.

The development has drawn attention because Abdullah had been allotted a centre in Nagpur during the previous examination. For the re-exam, he had selected Nagpur, Wardha and Bhandara as his preferred centres while filling out the application form, but was instead assigned a centre thousands of kilometres away from his hometown.

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Abdullah's father told Aaj Tak that the family was shocked when they discovered the allotment. He said they had carefully chosen centres in and around Nagpur while submitting the form, and could not understand how a foreign examination centre had been assigned instead. The situation became even more difficult because the student does not have a passport, making it virtually impossible for the family to complete passport and visa formalities and send him abroad to appear for the examination at such short notice.

Reacting to the incident, former Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Dr Anees Ahmed expressed strong displeasure and alleged that the NTA had made a mockery of the examination process. Speaking to Aaj Tak, he demanded that the agency immediately issue a revised admit card and rectify the error.

After the mistake came to light, the student's parents contacted the NTA helpline and lodged a complaint. According to the family, NTA officials acknowledged that a technical glitch had occurred and assured them that corrective action would be taken. However, despite that assurance, the student and his family remained under considerable stress while waiting for an updated hall ticket.

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Dr Anees Ahmed told Aaj Tak over the phone that he had personally raised the issue with the NTA and contacted the helpline on the student's behalf. According to him, after discussions late on Friday night, the student was informed that he would be allotted an examination centre in Nagpur and that a revised admit card would be issued by 4 PM on Saturday.

While that assurance brought some relief, the incident has again raised concerns over the NTA's examination management systems at a time when the agency is already under scrutiny over the conduct of national-level entrance examinations.