A National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) candidate from Nagpur was briefly allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi for the re-examination scheduled on Sunday, triggering anxiety for his family and fresh criticism of the National Testing Agency.
The student had originally selected Nagpur as his preferred examination city while applying for the medical entrance test. However, when he downloaded his admit card for the re-examination, he found that he had been assigned a centre at Abu Dhabi Indian School in the United Arab Emirates. The unexpected allotment left the family scrambling for answers just days before the examination. "We are completely unable to send our child abroad for the exam. He does not even have a passport, and there is no time left to make travel arrangements," the student's father, Mohammad Talib, told ANI.
According to the family, the candidate had listed Nagpur as his first preference, followed by Wardha and Bhandara, while filling out the application form. The admit card issued for the original NEET-UG examination on May 3 had allotted him a centre at Saraswati Vidyalaya in Nagpur. The examination, however, was subsequently cancelled amid allegations of irregularities and paper leaks, prompting the authorities to schedule a re-examination.
After discovering the discrepancy in the revised admit card, the family contacted the NTA helpline and sought immediate intervention. The agency acknowledged the error and assured the family that the matter would be rectified after verification of the candidate's details. Later, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh confirmed that the student had been reassigned a centre in Nagpur.
The incident drew sharp political reactions, with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioning the competence of the examination authority. "A system that can't provide a centre in a child's own city but can send them abroad instead, it has no right to conduct exams," Gandhi wrote on X. Questioning how such a mistake could occur, he said, "How did this even happen? Yesterday, no student should have had any complaint about not being able to reach their centre."
Referring to concerns repeatedly raised over the examination process, Gandhi added, "I said the same thing in Kota—this is no longer an education system. This is nothing but extortion of an entire generation's money, time, and mental peace." He also called for reforms, demanding what he described as a more "sensitive, responsible, and accountable education system and exam authority".
Former Maharashtra Education Minister Dr Anees Ahmed also criticised the incident, describing it as a serious administrative lapse. He urged the NTA to immediately ensure that the candidate was allotted a centre in Nagpur or a nearby city.
The episode comes at a time when the NTA has claimed to have put extensive security and logistical arrangements in place for the smooth conduct of the re-examination. According to officials, examination materials are being transported under heightened security in GPS-enabled vehicles accompanied by police escorts. Authorities have also introduced multiple safeguards at examination centres, including CCTV surveillance, Aadhaar-based biometric authentication and real-time monitoring systems, to prevent irregularities and ensure transparency.
