Why Did a Nagpur Student Get Assigned an Exam Center in Abu Dhabi for NEET UG 2026?

Controversy Over NEET UG 2026 Exam Center Assignment

New Delhi: A student from Nagpur, Maharashtra, found himself assigned to an examination center in Abu Dhabi for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for Sunday. This unexpected allocation led his parents to contact the National Testing Agency (NTA) for a resolution.

In response to the situation, the NTA clarified that their records show the city change was initiated by the candidate through their registered account during the correction period.

Despite this, the agency agreed to the student's request and facilitated a change of the examination center.

The NTA addressed the issue on social media platform 'X', stating, "In light of the center allocation issue for a candidate from Nagpur, we want to clarify: Following the rescheduling of NEET (UG) 2026 to June 21, we reopened the examination-city correction window to assist candidates."

The agency noted that approximately 320,000 candidates utilized this correction option, with over 99.5% receiving their preferred examination locations.

Regarding the Abu Dhabi situation, the NTA mentioned, "Our web-activity records indicate that the city change was made through the candidate's registered login during the correction window, showing a consistent single-user access pattern."

Additionally, they revealed that they received a request to change the center from Abu Dhabi to Nagpur just 48 hours before the exam, on the evening of June 19.

"NTA staff promptly initiated the change and reached out to the candidate's father that evening to assist with the formalities," the statement elaborated.

According to the NTA, their records confirm that the examination center was changed to Abu Dhabi once using the candidate's credentials and was previewed twice afterward.

"NTA has noted that the center was changed to Abu Dhabi on one occasion using the candidate's credentials, and it was previewed twice. Nevertheless, we honored the aspirant's request and processed the center change. Our priority is to ensure that no candidate misses the examination due to administrative issues," they added.

The issue arose when Abdullah Talib, a Nagpur resident, was assigned to an examination center in Abu Dhabi for the Re-NEET UG 2026 exam set for June 21.

His family stated that Abdullah had chosen Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara as his preferred examination locations when filling out his application. However, the admit card unexpectedly listed Abu Dhabi instead of any Maharashtra location.

This administrative blunder caused significant anxiety for Abdullah and his family, especially with the re-examination just a day away. Notably, Abdullah had previously taken the NEET exam at a center in Nagpur.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that the student does not have a passport, making international travel unfeasible.

The incident quickly gained attention on social media, with students and parents expressing their concerns about how such a major error could occur in one of the country's most significant and competitive entrance exams.