Nagpur, Jun 20: A major error in the allotment of examination centres has come to light ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, with a student from Maharashtra’s Nagpur being assigned an exam centre in Abu Dhabi instead of his preferred locations in the state.
The student, Abdulla Talib, had opted for Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara as his preferred examination centres while filling out his application. However, when the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued his admit card, he discovered that his examination centre had been allotted in Abu Dhabi.
His father, Dr. Mohammed Talib, said the family immediately contacted the NTA after noticing the error. According to him, the agency acknowledged the issue and assured them that a corrected examination centre would be allotted before the test.
The incident surfaced as the NTA conducted a nationwide mock drill on Saturday to review security and logistical arrangements ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, scheduled for June 21 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. The examination will be held in pen-and-paper mode across 551 cities in India and 14 international cities, with over 22.79 lakh candidates expected to appear.
The re-examination is being conducted after the original NEET UG 2026 examination was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak. The investigation into the matter has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Reacting to the incident, Congress leader and former Maharashtra Education Minister Anees Ahmed criticised the authorities, saying such mistakes increase anxiety among students already under immense examination pressure. He urged the government to ensure such errors do not affect students’ academic careers.
