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More than 22 lakh candidates were eligible to appear for the retest, which was held at 5,440 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 centres abroad. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the examination from 2 pm to 5:15 pm, while candidates eligible for compensatory time were allowed to continue till 6:20 pm.

Dharmendra Pradhan Reviews Arrangements

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the preparations from the NTA headquarters in Delhi's Okhla.

The Ministry of Education said the NTA briefed the minister on the logistical and technical measures put in place to ensure the efficient and transparent conduct of the examination.

In Kolkata, a severely injured aspirant, Shrishti Dubey, was allowed to take the examination in a separate room with medical support and a standby ambulance.

Dubey had suffered serious injuries in a road accident on June 14 and sought special assistance to appear for the test. Pradhan later spoke to her parents, who thanked the minister, the NTA and local authorities for facilitating the arrangements.

Commuting Challenges In Several Cities

Despite extensive planning, some candidates reported difficulties reaching examination centres.

In Bhopal, two students were denied entry after arriving late. Family members said they were delayed after meeting with an accident on the way to the centre and receiving first aid.

Heavy rain and waterlogging in Kolkata and surrounding areas disrupted traffic movement and created difficulties for commuters, including NEET aspirants travelling to examination centres.

In Mumbai, the BEST Undertaking arranged special bus services for students amid the ongoing strike by its employees.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, around 180 bus trips were planned, with 60 buses operating on 24 routes to connect 63 examination centres across the city.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delayed his departure from IGI Airport after returning from Kolkata so that NEET candidates would not face inconvenience due to traffic restrictions linked to convoy movement.

Gujarat Uses Drones, Tight Security Across India

Nearly 79,400 candidates appeared at 211 centres across Gujarat.

State police deployed drones and additional personnel to maintain security and ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.

Many aspirants said security arrangements were significantly stricter than during the earlier examination.

Students in Delhi said enhanced checks and surveillance gave them greater confidence that the retest would be conducted fairly.

Massive Surveillance Network

The examination was conducted in English and 12 Indian languages under a vast monitoring system.

According to the NTA, over 95,000 examination rooms were covered by CCTV surveillance, with 1,38,560 cameras monitored virtually at national, state and ministry levels. More than 51,000 signal jammers were also deployed to prevent electronic malpractice.

Minister Urges Students To Stay Fearless

Ahead of the re-examination, Pradhan had urged candidates to appear for the test without fear or anxiety and focus on performing to the best of their abilities