A major administrative error by the National Testing Agency (NTA) has raised eyebrows after a Nagpur-based NEET UG 2026 candidate in India was granted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi even though they applied for centres to be held in India. It has raised questions on the agency’s management of the upcoming Re-NEET UG 2026 exam date of June 21.
The candidate, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, had initially chosen examination centres in Nagpur, Bhandara, and Wardha districts when he was in the registration process. When he downloaded his admit card from the official NTA portal, he was shocked to find that his examination centre had been assigned to an Indian school located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
#WATCH | Nagpur, Mahrashtra: Family of a NEET aspirant, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, claims that he was allocated a school in Abu Dhabi as his exam center for NEET-UG re-exam scheduled to be held on 21st June.
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2026
His father, Mohammad Talib, says, "...After the admit card was downloaded… pic.twitter.com/EmFqhIFVRK
The mistake caused great confusion and anguish for the student and his family. Abdullah does not have a passport and so he cannot travel outside India to appear for the exam, his father said in an interview. The student was very upset when he saw the admit card and even thought about skipping the exam due to the uncertainty caused by the mistake.
The issue emerged after a screenshot of the admit card started circulating on social media, where the foreign examination centre was clearly stated. The family instantly contacted NTA officials to complain. After the complaint, the agency acknowledged the mistake and attributed it to a technical glitch in the system.
According to family officials, they assured them that corrective measures would be taken and that a new admit card with a valid examination centre in India would be issued. Family members also received an email from NTA that the new admit card would be issued by Saturday afternoon.
Students and parents are already under pressure due to the Re-NEET UG 2026 re-exam. There are also some candidates who have reported problems with exam centre allocation and admit card errors in the past, and this is just one more reason for concern about the reliability of the system.
The Re-NEET UG 2026 exam is held on June 21 in pen-and-paper mode from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM at selected centres in India. The candidates need to carry their admit cards and identification documents to enter the examination hall.
Education experts have said such errors on high-stakes national-level exams can severely harm student confidence and the administration’s ability to prepare. They have also called on the authorities to beef up verification systems to avoid a repeat of such issues in upcoming exams.
As the new admit cards will be issued in a few months, the affected candidates are worried and hope that the last details will be corrected in time for the crucial examination day.
