‘Fair chance...’: After NEET ‘paper leak’ row, over 20 lakh appear for reexam; NTA shares ‘thank you’ note

More than 20 lakh candidates appeared for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2026 2026 reexamination on Sunday, June 21. The reexamination was conducted after the original May 3 test was cancelled due to paper leaks.

Lakhs of candidates sat for the NEET (UG) 2026 reexamination across 5,440 centres in India and 14 centres abroad.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said in a press release that around 7 lakh officials - police teams, observers and examination staff - were mobilised across India to conduct this examination, "and it was done in a record 37 days."

The agency thanked the stakeholders for the successful conduct of the examination, and hailed it as "Team Bharat's" efforts.

NTA's 'thank you' note

In a press note on Sunday, the agency said, "This was not the National Testing Agency acting alone. It was Team Bharat - a chain of people across the country who showed up so that, for each candidate, the only thing that mattered that morning was the paper in front of them."

'A whole-of-government effort'

The NTA said extensive arrangements were made to avoid any toward incident. These included:

1. Aadhaar-based biometric

2. Face authentication

3. CCTV monitoring

4. Jammers

5. Two-layer frisking with the support of State Police.

"Several State Governments made arrangements for students and parents - shade, water and food at centres, ambulances and medical facilities on standby, and in many States, free transportation for candidates on exam day. National protocol, translated into local care, centre by centre," the NTA said in its press release.

The NTA further mentioned the support of various government agencies in conducting the NEET examination.

"The conduct of the examination drew on the support of CAPF, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Department of Posts, the Indian Air Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NIC, MeitY, the Department of Financial Services, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education, and our banking partners - SBI, Canara Bank, PNB and UCO Bank, alongside State Governments and many other stakeholders," the NTA added.

It said around 7 lakh officials — police teams, observers and examination staff — were mobilised across India to conduct this examination, and it was done in a record 37 days.

"NTA is especially grateful to the experts from academic institutions across the country who gave their personal time to help prepare multiple sets of question papers," the agency said.

"To every candidate who wrote on 21 June - well done. And to everyone who made it possible: thank you. Team NTA. Team Bharat. One exam, delivered together. A Fair Chance, A Fresh Start," the press note concluded.