New Delhi, Jun 19 : The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a nationwide mock drill on Saturday ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination the day after as part of its preparations to ensure the smooth, secure and transparent conduct of the test, official said on Friday.
The NTA also issued a statement, saying it is fully prepared for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on Sunday (June 21) with district administrations, police forces and escort teams tasked with securely transporting confidential materials related to the test.
The re-examination will be conducted from 2 pm to 5.15 pm in pen-and-paper mode in 551 cities across India and 14 cities abroad for over 22.79 lakh candidates.
Candidates with disabilities (PwD/PwBD) eligible for compensatory time will be allowed to write the examination till 6.20 pm, it said.
According to the NTA, the re-exam involves close coordination among multiple agencies and levels of administration, with 674 city coordinators overseeing city-level operations and 6,669 observers deployed for independent oversight at examination centres. Centre superintendents and invigilators have been appointed at every examination centre.
In all, over 2 lakh personnel, including police and district administration officials, have been mobilised to ensure the smooth and fair conduct of the re-examination, the NTA said.
“To ensure a fair and transparent examination, the NTA has put in place a multi-layered security framework, including end-to-end secure handling of confidential materials under sealed protocols, GPS-enabled vehicles with police escorts for movement of examination materials, CCTV surveillance at all examination centres linked to centralised control rooms, and Aadhaar-based biometric authentication to prevent impersonation,” the agency said.
It said mandatory frisking through high-sensitivity metal detectors will be conducted before entry to examination centres, with strengthened manpower and equipment deployed at every centre. “The examination will also be monitored in real time through centralised control systems.”
“Real-time monitoring through centralised control systems is also being undertaken,” it added.
The agency said active monitoring of social media platforms is underway to curb misinformation and prevent malpractice. “NTA has filed complaints with cyber-crime authorities, including 14C/MHA and CBI. Strict action is being taken against all those involved,” it said.
“Per NTA’s advisory, candidates whose biometric verification cannot be completed at the examination centre due to technical malfunction of devices, poor fingerprint quality, UIDAI connectivity issues, or any physical inability will not be denied entry to the examination hall.
“Such candidates will be required to sign a written undertaking-the format of which will be made available at the centre with the Centre Superintendent or Observer-and will then be permitted to write the examination without disturbance,” the agency said.
