Nationwide mock drill held ahead of Neet-UG 2026 re-examination for over 22 lakh candidates

With the Neet-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, authorities on Saturday carried out a nationwide mock drill and stepped up security arrangements to ensure the medical entrance test is conducted smoothly, securely and transparently.

Officials said security has also been tightened at the National Testing Agency (NTA) office in the national capital.

Re-examination to be held across India and abroad

The re-examination will take place on June 21 from 2 pm to 5.15 pm in the pen-and-paper mode across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. More than 22.79 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the examination.

According to officials, extensive security and administrative measures have been put in place to ensure the seamless conduct of the examination.

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They said the nationwide mock drill is intended to assess preparedness at examination centres and improve coordination among the various agencies involved in conducting the test.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has carried out nearly 200 sorties over the past three to four days to transport question papers for the re-examinations to 18 designated zones across the country. The IAF deployed Mi-17 helicopters and transport aircraft to deliver sealed question papers to their respective destinations.

Nagpur student allotted Abu Dhabi exam centre for Re-Neet UG

Amid stepped-up preparations for the re-examination, a candidate from Nagpur was allegedly assigned an examination centre in Abu Dhabi because of an apparent error in the admit card issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA), drawing attention ahead of the June 21 test.

The student, identified as Abdullah Mohammad Talib, reportedly found the discrepancy after downloading his Re-Neet 2026 admit card from the official website. Instead of being allotted a centre in India, the document listed an examination venue in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Reports said Abdullah had applied for the examination from Nagpur and expected to be assigned a centre within the country. The issue gained further significance as the student does not have a passport, making it impossible for him to travel abroad to sit the examination.

A screenshot of the admit card circulating online showed an Indian school in Abu Dhabi listed as the examination centre. The matter was subsequently brought to the attention of NTA officials.

Acknowledging the error, NTA stated that it resulted from a technical glitch, reported NDTV.