NEET 2026 retest marred by frisking row, late entry denials, dress code disputes across exam centres

New Delhi: Even as the National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET 2026 re-examination a success with no reports of paper leaks or major malpractice, the conduct of the examination has come under scrutiny following a series of controversies reported from different parts of the country, ranging from allegations of invasive frisking and dress code disputes to candidates being denied entry for reaching centres minutes late.

Among the most disturbing allegations was a claim by a female candidate in West Bengal, who alleged that she was subjected to an intrusive security check and asked to lower her clothing to verify the presence of a sanitary pad during frisking.

According to posts being circulated online, the incident allegedly took place at Malda Bibhutibhusan High School during the NEET-UG re-examination. The candidate claimed that during the frisking process, she was asked whether she was menstruating. After she replied that she was on her period, she was allegedly instructed to lower her pants so that her sanitary pad could be inspected.

The candidate reportedly said that the experience left her shocked. She further alleged that she felt powerless to object because she feared being denied entry to the examination, which is one of the country's most competitive medical entrance tests.

Strongly condemning the incident, the Democratic Medical Association said that this deeply disturbing and humiliating incident. The association stated that security checks are essential, but forcing a female candidate to lower her clothing for inspection of a sanitary pad is an unacceptable violation of privacy, dignity, and bodily autonomy.

"No examination, irrespective of its importance, can justify practices that leave young women feeling humiliated, intimidated, and powerless. If these allegations are true, they warrant an immediate and impartial inquiry. The authorities must clarify whether such a procedure was officially sanctioned and fix accountability if standard protocols were breached," the association said in their post on X. 

Further, it urged all concerned authorities to ensure that examination security measures remain humane, gender-sensitive, and respectful of fundamental rights. The dignity of women cannot be compromised in the name of frisking.

Denied entry at exam centres

In a heartbreaking incident from Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district, a NEET-UG re-examination candidate was reportedly denied entry to her examination centre for arriving just two minutes late.

A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows the candidate's father crying outside the gate of the Government Girls College examination centre, folding his hands and pleading with officials to allow his daughter to appear for the exam.

As per a TOI media report, the candidate reached the centre at 1:32 pm, while the entry gate had been closed at 1:30 pm as per the examination rules.

Her father said they had travelled nearly 70 kilometres from their village to reach the centre. However, heavy rainfall, waterlogging on roads, and a puncture in their motorcycle delayed their journey. By the time they arrived, the gate had already been shut.

As per reports, the officials at the centre tried to help the student. She was reportedly taken inside the premises, but the National Testing Agency's (NTA) biometric verification system had stopped accepting entries after the deadline, making it impossible for her to appear for the examination.

As the crowd outside grew, her father kept trying. He folded his hands and reminded officials that they had come from far away, that the delay was not their fault, that his daughter deserved a chance. 

He hit his head against the gate and fell to the ground, crying. His daughter hugged him and cried along with her father.  The emotional scenes captured in the viral video have touched many people online.

In Delhi, a student who missed the re-examination alleged that she reached the venue on time but was still not allowed to enter. The student said, "We reached the examination centre at 1.30 pm, but the authorities refused to open the centre gate."

In Bengaluru, nearly four students are seen crying in a video that went viral on social media after arriving late at the NEET examination centre. A parent of one of the students told IANS, "... Everyone across India knows that today, on the 21st, the NEET re-examination is being conducted. Yet the Congress has organized a rally here at the Palace Grounds. The roads have been blocked here for the last three hours, so how will the students reach the examination centers? They are stuck in traffic jams..."

In Mumbai, two candidates were denied entry for reaching the centre after the prescribed deadline. The college administration closed the gates as per the examination schedule, leading to protests by the students. One candidate was from Kurla, while the other had travelled from Dombivli.

In Rajasthan, a Burqa-wearing candidate was allegedly denied entry at a medical entrance exam centre unless she removed parts of her attire. The candidate told ANI, "I have come from Beawar to take the NEET exam. When I took the exam on May 3rd, I was in the same attire then as I am now: wearing a burqa and a dupatta. Initially, they said I would have to remove the dupatta to enter; then they insisted I had to remove the burqa as well. If the NTA has permitted us, these people cannot stop us... If I am to take the exam and they don't allow me in this attire, then I simply won't take it... It is shameful that they are messing with 18-year-olds like this... The exam doesn't matter to me; what matters is my 'burqa' and my identity."

In Uttar Pradesh, several NEET candidates were unable to take their exam because Google Maps had directed them to the wrong location. They were not allowed inside the designated exam centre, R.N. Inter College, as they failed to arrive on time.

In Bhopal, two students were denied entry into the exam centre after arriving late. The uncle of one of the aspirants told PTI, "I have come here with my nephew for his examination. While on our way to the examination centre, we met with an accident and got a bit late, since my nephew received first aid. Now that we have reached here, we are being denied entry. The authorities are saying the exam has already begun and that it won't be possible to permit us entry."

In Gujarat, at the R. J. Tibrewal examination centre, students were made to remove religious items such as threads and sacred necklaces (kanthi) from their hands and bodies, which led to protests by activists associated with Hindu organisations outside the exam centre. To maintain law and order, the police detained some of the protesting activists, reports IANS.

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