Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, J.P. Nadda, on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2026.
The test is scheduled to be held on August 30.
The Union Minister directed all stakeholders to ensure a smooth, secure, transparent and technology-enabled examination process.
Union Minister Nadda during the high-level review meeting assessed the preparedness of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), technology partners and other agencies involved in conducting the examination.
According to a press statement, officials briefed him on examination logistics, candidate facilitation measures, security arrangements and the technology-driven interventions introduced for this year's test.
Union Minister Nadda asked officials to ensure that every effort is made to uphold the highest standards of fairness, integrity and security.
He also told them to ensure a candidate-friendly examination experience.
A total of 2,73,183 candidates have registered for NEET-PG 2026, marking an increase of more than 12.5 per cent over the previous year.
The examination will be conducted in a single shift across nearly 340 cities at more than 1,300 examination centres, significantly improving accessibility for candidates nationwide.
The Union Minister also cautioned aspirants against rumours and fraudulent claims regarding question paper leaks.
He clarified that the final question paper is selected through a highly secure, encrypted and time-bound process shortly before the examination begins, making any claim of prior access completely false.
Candidates were advised to rely only on official communications issued by NBEMS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and report any suspicious activities immediately.
Several student-centric reforms have been introduced this year.
According to information, candidates can now indicate three state preferences for test centres, with their correspondence state as the mandatory first preference. This will, officials say, improve the chances of receiving a nearby examination centre.
The information regarding the test city will be communicated nearly three weeks in advance. With this communication, students will have sufficient time to plan travel and accommodation, officials added.
The examination pattern has also been revised to 180 questions to be completed in 210 minutes. This way candidates will have more time per question.
Meanwhile Aadhaar-based authentication has been integrated during both registration and examination.
Similarly, iris-based biometric verification will serve as a backup where fingerprint authentication fails.
Union Minister Nadda reviewed an extensive security framework which include CCTV surveillance, biometric verification, frisking, signal jammers, dynamic computer allocation, live monitoring through central and regional command centres, and deployment of more than 60,000 examination personnel.
The Union Health Minister directed all agencies to maintain close coordination.
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