A day before the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam, NTA corrected an admit card error that had assigned a Nagpur-based candidate an examination centre in Abu Dhabi despite his Maharashtra preferences.
NTA has reassigned a Nagpur student's examination centre after an admit card mistakenly allotted a venue in Abu Dhabi for the NEET-UG re-exam. | ANI
A Nagpur-based NEET-UG candidate who was unexpectedly allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi for the upcoming re-examination has now been reassigned to a centre in his home city after intervention by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The correction comes just ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21. The issue had triggered concern after the student’s revised admit card showed an overseas test centre despite his application preferences being limited to locations in Maharashtra.
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NTA Director General Abhishek Singh confirmed on Saturday that the matter had been addressed.
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“The issue has been resolved, and the candidate has now been allotted a centre in Nagpur,” Singh told ANI.
The student, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, had originally appeared at Saraswati Vidyalaya in Nagpur for the earlier NEET examination. However, after the test was rescheduled in the wake of the paper leak controversy, he downloaded a fresh admit card and found that his assigned centre had been changed to Abu Dhabi Indian School in the UAE.
#WATCH | Nagpur, Mahrashtra: Family of a NEET aspirant, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, claims that he was allocated a school in Abu Dhabi as his exam center for NEET-UG re-exam scheduled to be held on 21st June.
His father, Mohammad Talib, says, “…After the admit card was downloaded… pic.twitter.com/EmFqhIFVRK
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2026
According to the family, the candidate had selected Nagpur as his first preferred examination city, followed by Wardha and Bhandara. They maintained that no overseas examination centre had been requested during the application process.
The unexpected allotment left the family distressed as the examination date approached.
“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, had said.
Speaking to IANS, Talib said the family was shocked by the allotment and could not understand how an overseas centre had been assigned when only Maharashtra locations were selected.
“In the previous NEET exam, he got a centre in Nagpur itself. His paper went very well. There was no mistake from our side while choosing the centres. We never requested any centre outside India,” he said.
The father also claimed the incident had taken a severe emotional toll on the student.
“After hearing about the Abu Dhabi centre, my son went into shock. He is currently sleeping after taking medication. Whenever we try to talk to him, he breaks down and starts crying,” Talib said.
After spotting the discrepancy, the family contacted the NTA helpline and lodged a complaint.
According to them, officials acknowledged the error and assured them that the matter would be verified and a revised admit card issued.
Talib further claimed that NTA officials informed the family that the issue appeared to be the result of a technical glitch and assured them that corrective action would be taken.
The issue also drew political attention. Former Maharashtra education minister Dr Anees Ahmed criticised the incident and urged the agency to immediately provide the student with a centre in Nagpur or a nearby city.
The episode comes at a time when the NTA is facing heightened scrutiny over examination management following the controversy that led to the rescheduling of the medical entrance test.
Meanwhile, the agency said extensive security and logistical measures have been put in place for the smooth and transparent conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
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