Campus Times | Lucknow 

In a surprising administrative blunder that has raised serious concerns over examination management, a NEET UG 2026 re-test candidate from Nagpur was reportedly assigned an examination centre in Abu Dhabi, despite applying for centres within India.

The student, identified as Abdullah Mohammad Talib, was shocked to discover that his admit card listed Abu Dhabi Indian School, United Arab Emirates as his exam venue for the scheduled NEET-UG re-examination on June 21. The allocation came as a major surprise, as he had not opted for any international centre during the application process.

Family left stunned, seeks immediate correction

According to the candidate’s family, the issue came to light only after downloading the admit card. They immediately contacted the National Testing Agency (NTA) helpline, expressing concern over the apparent error and the impossibility of travelling abroad at such short notice.

The candidate’s father stated that they had clearly selected examination preferences within Nagpur and nearby districts, making the overseas allotment completely unexpected. He also highlighted that the student does not even possess a passport, making international travel impossible under any circumstance.

The sudden discrepancy reportedly caused significant stress to the candidate, who is already under pressure preparing for one of India’s most competitive medical entrance examinations.

NTA acknowledges issue, promises swift rectification

Following the complaint, the NTA acknowledged the grievance and assured the family that the matter was under active review. Officials reportedly informed them that a corrected admit card would be issued shortly, with an updated centre likely to be allotted within Nagpur.

The agency’s response suggests that the issue is being treated as a technical or system-level error and is expected to be resolved before the examination date.

Fresh scrutiny on exam management systems

The incident has once again drawn attention to the operational reliability of large-scale national examination systems, particularly the processes involved in centre allocation and candidate data handling.

With the NEET UG re-exam scheduled for June 21 across designated centres in India, the last-minute error has added to ongoing concerns regarding logistical accuracy and candidate grievance redressal mechanisms within the examination framework.

While the NTA has assured timely correction, the episode has intensified debate over the need for stronger verification systems to prevent such high-impact errors during critical examinations.