The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday issued a clarification after reports emerged that a candidate from Nagpur appearing for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination was allotted a test centre in Abu Dhabi due to a technical error. The agency stated that the claim of a system-generated error is not supported by its records.
City Change Made by Candidate
According to the NTA, the change of examination city to Abu Dhabi was made through the candidate's own registered login during the examination-city correction window, which was reopened after the exam was rescheduled. The agency's web activity records show that the city change was made using the candidate's credentials and followed a consistent single-user access pattern.
"NTA has observed that on three occasions, the centre was changed to Abu Dhabi using the candidate's credentials, and twice it was previewed that the centre is Abu Dhabi," the agency said in its statement.
Candidate's Allegations
The clarification comes after reports about Nagpur candidate Abdullah Mohammad Talib, whose admit card reportedly showed Abu Dhabi Indian School in the UAE as his examination venue. The family alleged that they never selected Abu Dhabi while filling out the application form and described the allotment as a shock.
The candidate's father, Mohammad Talib, told ANI that the family contacted the NTA helpline after seeing the admit card and requested that a centre be allotted in Nagpur. He also stated that his son does not have a passport and was distressed after learning about the overseas centre allocation.
NTA's Response
The NTA said it received an informal request on the evening of June 19, about 48 hours before the examination, seeking a change from Abu Dhabi to Nagpur. The agency's officials immediately began the process and contacted the candidate's father the same evening to help complete the required formalities.
"Despite that, NTA has accorded to the aspirant's request and the change of centre was actioned," the agency said. The testing agency added that its priority was to ensure that no candidate misses the examination because of an administrative issue.
