NEET 2026 row: Candidate asked to remove tulsi mala at Surat exam centre, NTA calls it 'wrong'

Surat: As over 22 lakh students appeared for the NEET UG 2026 on May 3, a video from a NEET examination centre in Gujarat's Surat has brought attention to a dispute over religious belief after a student was allegedly asked to remove her Kanthi (Tulsi mala) before entering the examination hall.

The viral video shows a tense exchange between the student’s father and security staff outside the exam centre in the Amroli area. While the father is seen protesting, the student can be heard urging him to stop, saying she was getting late for her exam and did not want to wear the mala.

The NEET UG 2026, conducted by the National Testing Agency, was held from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in pen-and-paper mode for around 23 lakh candidates. The exam was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering more than 5,400 centres.

The incident took place on Sunday at a centre in the Amroli area, where a student was reportedly asked to remove her Kanthi (Tulsi mala) during security checking before entering the exam hall.

According to accounts from the centre as reported by Free Press Journal, the student had reached the venue for NEET UG when frisking staff reportedly asked her to remove the sacred Kanthi (Tulsi mala) as part of standard security checks.

However, the student’s father objected strongly, saying the necklace was a religious symbol and should not be treated like a regular accessory.

At one point, he is heard saying, "Why did they make her remove the kanthi? She will not remove it." As officials tried to explain that it was part of examination protocol, he continued to protest, saying, "You are spoiling her exam. Why only the kanthi?"

In the video, the father is also seen recording the incident. As the argument continued, staff members asked him to cooperate so that the examination process would not be disrupted. Despite the brief confrontation, the student was eventually allowed to appear for the exam.

At the same time, another video from a NEET centre went viral on social media showing how strict frisking measures were this year. In the clip, security personnel were seen removing metal parts from students’ clothing by using a small utility cutter, including cutting small chains and taking off zipper pullers before entry.

In one instance, a female officer carefully cut away a metal chain from the pocket area of a female student’s trousers. Later in the same video, a male officer was seen removing the metal zipper puller from another student’s track pants.

NTA advisory on dress code

On May 3rd, the candidates were subjected to extensive and compulsory frisking before entering the Examination Centre with the help of highly sensitive metal detectors. They had undergone various other identity verification checks, such as Biometric Authentication, Face Authentication, videography, etc.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the National Testing Agency (NTA) advised that candidates may wear articles or objects of faith, but they must report early at the centre for thorough frisking procedures.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will take action after probing an incident at a Surat exam centre where a Hindu girl was allegedly asked to remove her ‘Tulsi Kanthi mala’ (sacred necklace) before appearing for the NEET-UG 2026 on Sunday, a senior official said. Terming the incident at an exam centre in Surat’s Amroli as “wrong” and “unacceptable”, the senior NTA official said it violated the agency’s dress code guidelines, reports HT

Apart from this, NTA also advised candidates to wear light clothing to facilitate proper frisking. In terms of footwear, slippers and low-heeled footwear are recommended for ease of checking.

Also read- NEET 2026: NTA issues advisory on dress code, permissible items