NEET 2026 delayed over 4 hours at Jharkhand exam centre after question paper language mix-up

Daltonganj: The NEET UG 2026 exam, held on May 3 at a centre in Jharkhand's Palamu district, caused major disruption after candidates were allegedly given question papers in English instead of Hindi, leading to a delay of nearly four hours in the start of the entrance test.

The examination, which was scheduled from 2 pm to about 5-5:20 pm, eventually began around 6 pm and continued till about 10 pm. Around 48 candidates who had opted for Hindi medium were given English question papers at Yodh Singh Namdhari Mahila College in Daltonganj. Of them, 45 appeared for the test, while three had not reported at the scheduled time.

The shortage of Hindi question booklets triggered protests among candidates, prompting authorities to arrange photocopies of the papers. More than 3,000 pages were prepared, as each booklet contained 64 pages.

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According to candidates present at the centre, the issue came to light soon after the question paper packets were opened and distributed. Students who had chosen Hindi said they struggled to understand the questions, leading to protests inside the examination hall.

The shortage of Hindi question booklets triggered chaos at the centre, following which local authorities were informed. Officials contacted the National Testing Agency (NTA) control room to address the situation.

To manage the issue, authorities arranged for photocopies of the Hindi question papers. More than 3,000 pages were reportedly prepared, as each booklet contained 64 pages. After the corrected papers were distributed, the examination resumed in the evening. The entire photocopying process was carried out with strict confidentiality, reports The Jharkhand Story. 

Due to the delay, the parents and guardians waited outside the examination centre for several hours, growing anxious. A large crowd gathered outside the college gate, and a brief, tense situation arose when three individuals tried to create a disturbance.

Following this, the police used mild force to control the situation and detained them. They were released on Monday afternoon on the orders of SP Kapil Chaudhary.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Palamu Sub-Divisional Officer Sulochana Meena said, "45 of around 360 candidates at the centre were affected. Snacks were served twice to the affected students, and dinner packets were also provided. Arrangements for buses and cars were made to drop the students home…due to some technical errors, the paper in another language was distributed."

She, however, declined to specify the source of the technical error, stating the matter is being handled by NTA. "Since the NTA is examining the issue, I cannot tell what the technical glitches are during the exam. We have to wait for that. While NEET UG exams were held at four centres in Palamu, the issue was reported only at the Mahila College centre. An inquiry had been ordered," she added. 

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