NEET-UG exam series: Nagpur aspirant gets Abu Dhabi as retest centre; NTA admits error | Today’s news

A day before the examination of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), a glaring glitch has now surfaced on the part of the National Testing Agency (NTA). A student from Nagpur, who was scheduled to appear for the examination on Sunday, found that his examination center was allotted in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The mistake was brought to the attention of the student’s parents, who pointed out that he did not even have a passport, after which the testing agency cited “technical issues” as the reason for the glitch and reportedly assured that the student would be provided with a modified local admit card, news agency ANI reported.

Here’s what we know

A Nagpur-based NEET aspirant has flagged a glitch on NTA’s side after his revised admit card showed Abu Dhabi as the examination center despite opting for Nagpur as his preferred city. The “glitch” left the candidate and his family in a state of uncertainty.

Earlier, the aspirant was allotted a center at Saraswati Vidyalaya, Nagpur for the original NEET examination which was held on May 3. However, the exam was later canceled on 12 May following the controversy over the paper leak; he downloaded his new admit card only to find that his examination center had been shifted to an Indian school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Read also | NTA Re-NEET Exam News LIVE: 21-year-old aspirant jumps to his death

According to the family, while filling the application form, the aspirant chose Nagpur as his first choice, followed by Wardha and Bhandar.

The student’s father, Mohammad Talib, said they were stunned to find an overseas exam center listed on the admit card, adding, “We are completely unable to send our child abroad for the exam. He doesn’t even have a passport and there is no time left to make travel arrangements.”

The family has since registered a complaint with the NTA helpline, which is said to have acknowledged the mistake and assured them of a revised admit card after verification.

The former minister criticizes the mistake

Former Maharashtra Education Minister Anees Ahmed condemned the incident, terming it a serious lapse on the part of the testing agency, and asked the NTA to rectify the mistake immediately by allotting the student to a center in Nagpur or a nearby city. The latest episode has raised fresh concerns about the functioning of the NTA amid an ongoing probe into exam management issues.

Read also | NEET-UG paper leak series: Students face ‘tremendous anxiety’ ahead of re-exam.

NEET aspirants under immense pressure: Supreme Court lawyer

The development comes a day after the Supreme Court refused to hear urgent pleas in the NEET-UG paper leak dispute ahead of the re-test scheduled for June 21, LiveLaw reported. Counsel appearing for the students told a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, “This matter concerns 1,600 NEET candidates. They are under immense pressure and anxiety because of all the rumors that are surfacing, including yesterday’s proceedings before the Delhi High Court which has categorically admitted and accepted that there are social media paper leaks and these incidents.”

The counsel also pointed out that several students were not able to download their admit cards for the re-test while many others who were able to download them were allotted other centres. Seeking the apex court’s intervention, the lawyer added, “Besides, there is concern that they are not able to download the admit cards as well. The cards being downloaded point to different centers and so on. Students hardly have time.”

The NTA issues a safety advisory

On Friday, the nodal agency issued a security advisory for NEET aspirants. In a series of posts on X, the NTA said it sends reminders to students through text messages, emails and WhatsApp notifications. The agency wrote, “NTA is sending reminder SMS and emails to candidates to download their admit cards for the re-examination on Sunday, June 21, 2026.” She further informed the students that legitimate SMS messages will be sent from the official sender ID “NICPEP” and that emails will come from “no-reply.neet.nta@nic.in”.

While the aspirants are gearing up for the re-test, it will be seen whether the student from Nagpur will finally get the revised local admit card ahead of the exam which will be held on Sunday between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

Key things

• The importance of accurate data management in high stakes investigations.
• The potential mental and emotional toll on students from clerical errors.
• Need for accountability in testing agencies to prevent future accidents.