A student from Nagpur, who was set to appear for the NEET re-examination, was initially allotted an exam centre in Abu Dhabi, days before the test on Sunday, June 21. The aspirant had opted for Nagpur as his preferred city for the examination, but an error by the National Testing Agency (NTA) led to the overseas centre allocation.
The incident initially caused uncertainty for the candidate's family, who said that he did not have a passport, nor did they have enough time to obtain one. However, after the family lodged a complaint with the NTA helpline, the agency acknowledged the error and assured them that they would issue a revised admit card after verifying all details.
NTA director general Abhishek Singh later told ANI that the candidate had been allotted a centre in Nagpur. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also launched criticism against the NTA, saying the agency was “testing the patience of the country.”
However, a senior NTA official responded to the allegations, saying that the candidate had himself modified his examination city preferences through the portal using the same IP address from which he had earlier downloaded his May 3 admit card.
The official said that the candidate had updated his bank details for a refund on May 24, accessed the city intimation slip on June 10 and downloaded his admit card on June 16 using the same IP address. The NTA is now examining whether the changes were made by the candidate himself or by someone who may have gained access to his account.
