NEET Re-Exam: NTA Says Candidate Chose Abu Dhabi Centre, Resolves Issue

A significant controversy emerged just days before the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination, scheduled for June 21, when a medical aspirant from Nagpur, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, was reportedly allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for his re-test. This development caused considerable distress for the student and his family, who claimed that they had never opted for an overseas centre and that Abdullah did not even possess a passport, making travel impossible on such short notice. Initial news reports, including those cited for context, often highlighted this as an 'allotment error' or 'technical glitch' on the part of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body responsible for conducting the examination. The family of Abdullah Mohammad Talib stated that their preferred choices for examination centres were Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara, all within Maharashtra. The father, Mohammad Talib, expressed shock and disbelief, noting that his son had received a Nagpur centre for the original NEET exam and that there was no mistake from their side in choosing centres. However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) soon issued a clarification that contradicted the family's claim and the initial perception of a technical error. The NTA stated that its web-activity records indicated that the city change to Abu Dhabi was made through the candidate's *own registered login credentials* during an open correction window that was reopened after the original exam was rescheduled. The agency emphasized that its records showed a 'consistent single-user access pattern'. Furthermore, the NTA observed that on three separate occasions, the centre was changed to Abu Dhabi using the candidate's credentials, and the Abu Dhabi centre was subsequently previewed twice through the same login. Hindustan Times reported that a senior NTA official stated the candidate had selected Abu Dhabi as the first choice and Dubai as the second, and the modification on the NTA portal was done using the same IP address that was used to download the admit card for the May 3 examination. The candidate also updated bank details for a refund and accessed the city intimation slip and admit card using the same IP address. Despite their records indicating the candidate's own action, the NTA adopted a 'student-first' approach to resolve the immediate crisis. The agency confirmed that it received an informal request on the evening of June 19, just 48 hours before the re-examination, seeking a change of the centre from Abu Dhabi back to Nagpur. NTA personnel immediately initiated the necessary process and contacted the candidate's father to complete the required formalities for the modification. NTA Director-General Abhishek Singh confirmed on June 20, 2026, that the issue had been successfully resolved, and the candidate was allotted a centre in Nagpur, ensuring he would be able to appear for the examination without difficulty. The NTA reiterated its commitment to preventing candidates from missing examinations due to administrative issues. It is important to note that while the Times of India article mentions a 'Nasik candidate' in its headline, the student at the centre of this controversy is consistently identified across multiple credible news sources, including The Hindu, Hindustan Times, and other Times of India reports, as Abdullah Mohammad Talib from Nagpur. This suggests a minor geographical misattribution in some initial reports. The re-examination itself followed the cancellation of the original May 3 NEET-UG examination due to allegations of irregularities, including a paper leak, which led to heightened scrutiny of NTA's administrative and technical processes. The agency stated that around 3.2 lakh candidates used the correction window, and over 99.5% were allotted their preferred examination cities.

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