NEET PG 2026: Power supply issue causes exam disruption in Jaipur, NBE announces re-exam for 2,445 doctors

The affected candidates were appearing at the iON Digital Zone iDZ centres in Sitapura, Jaipur. The disruption triggered anger among candidates at the centre, with students expressing concern over the impact of the technical problem on their examination.

According to NBE, the examination could not be completed at the two centres due to the power supply disruption.

The re-examination will be conducted on September 5, 2026, at 3 pm in Jaipur.

Power disruption affects NEET PG 2026:

The NEET PG 2026 examination was conducted for 2,73,096 registered candidates on 30.08.2026, in which 2,65,980 candidates appeared at 1111 centres across the country. The examination was completed for around 2,63,535 candidates, but a power failure at 2 exam centres in Jaipur disrupted the exam.

"However, at iON Digital Zone iDZ Sitapura centres (TC no. 41682 & 41683), Jaipur, Rajasthan, the examination could not be completed due to internal power failure issues at the centre, attributed to M/s TCS ltd., the exam conducting agency," as per the statement issued by NBE.

The disruption in Jaipur reportedly affected the remaining 2,445 candidates.

Candidates at the affected centres faced repeated interruptions during the computer-based examination. Some candidates alleged that their systems repeatedly shut down, affecting their ability to complete the test normally.

Candidates take to streets:

The disruption subsequently led to protests outside the examination centres.

According to PTI report, some candidates claimed their systems shut down six to seven times during the examination, while others alleged that the disruption occurred even more frequently. They said that after the systems restarted, only a few questions appeared on some computers before they went down again.

Several candidates came out of the examination centre amid the disruption and staged a protest, questioning the technical arrangements for the test.

They alleged that no clear explanation was provided by the centre staff about the repeated technical glitches. The candidates also raised concerns over the confidentiality and fairness of the examination, claiming that questions had appeared on some computer screens before the systems went down.

They demanded an impartial inquiry into the disruptions and said the examination authorities should ensure that candidates were not disadvantaged because of technical failures.

Candidates said many aspirants had prepared for the examination for one to two years and such disruptions could affect their future.

Police and administration officials had reached the centre following the protest.

Following the protest, the NBE declared re-examination for the affected candidates.

"For all the candidates who could not complete the examination, the NBEMS expresses regret for the inconvenience caused. Their re-examination will be conducted on 05.09.2026 (Saturday), 03:00 PM at Jaipur, Rajasthan. Further details regarding the venue will be shared separately, including the issuance of the revised Admit Cards for such candidates," the NBE notice stated.

NBE orders probe:

Meanwhile, a three-member committee was constituted to examine the circumstances that led to the power supply failure and ascertain the reasons for the disruption.

The committee is headed by Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary, Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department, Rajasthan.

It also includes a Joint Secretary-level officer from the Union Health Ministry and a senior engineering official from the Central Electricity Authority, reports PTI.

The committee has been tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the disruption and submitting its report within the stipulated timeframe, sources informed PTI.

Doctors raise concerns over exam conduct, impact on candidates:

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), expressed concerns over the examination centre quality and preparedness. "The issues reported at several centres during NEET PG 2026 are a matter of serious concern. While the problems at some centres may have been minor, the situation at the Jaipur centre was particularly significant, where the examination could not be conducted, and a re-examination had to be scheduled for September 5," he said.

On the efforts by doctors for the annually held PG medical entrance test, Dr Krishnan stated, "NEET PG is not just another examination. Students invest an entire year preparing for it, pay a substantial examination fee, and get only one opportunity in a year and one examination shift. Therefore, even a technical, administrative, or infrastructure-related failure at an examination centre can potentially cost a candidate an entire year of their career. This becomes even more important in the context of the proposed transition towards Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for NEET UG. If difficulties are being experienced in NEET PG, where the number of candidates is significantly smaller—approximately one-tenth of the NEET UG candidate strength—it is important to seriously assess how prepared we are to conduct an examination on a much larger scale through CBT."

"Before implementing such a system at a massive scale, we need to have clarity on the preparedness of examination centres, the robustness of the technical infrastructure, backup systems, connectivity, manpower, monitoring mechanisms, and contingency plans. The objective should be to ensure that no student suffers because of a failure at the examination centre or due to shortcomings in the examination infrastructure. For a medical aspirant who has worked for an entire year, an examination day cannot be allowed to become a matter of uncertainty. Examination infrastructure and centre preparedness must be treated with the same seriousness as the examination itself," he further added on exam preparedness.

Dr Lakshya Kumar Jha, National Vice President, FAIMA, also spoke on the effect of such disruption on doctors and called for a robust examination system. He said, "For candidates who have spent months or even years preparing for this examination, a technical failure at the examination centre is not a minor inconvenience- it can have a direct impact on their careers and future. At the same time, this incident raises serious questions about the preparedness and contingency mechanisms at high-stakes examination centres. A nationwide examination of this magnitude must have robust power backup, technical redundancy and clearly defined protocols to ensure that a local infrastructure failure does not compromise a candidate’s examination."

The association welcomed the constitution of an independent committee by the NBE to examine the incident.