Nadda reviews NEET-PG 2026 preparations, assures secure and transparent exam
New Delhi, Aug 3 (INB) Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda reviewed preparations for NEET-PG 2026 and urged candidates not to fall prey to rumours or fraudulent claims, assuring that the examination will be conducted in a secure, transparent and technology-driven, according to an official statement.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2026 is scheduled to be held on August 30. During the review meeting, Nadda 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 the Health Ministry, 2,73,183 candidates have registered for NEET-PG 2026, an increase of over 12.5 per cent compared to the previous year. The examination will be conducted in a single shift across around 340 cities at more than 1,300 examination centres.
The minister said the question paper would be selected through a highly secure, encrypted and time-bound process shortly before the examination, making any claim of prior access to the paper "entirely false". He advised candidates to rely only on official communications issued by NBEMS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and report any suspicious activities related to the examination.
The ministry said on Friday candidates will be required to indicate three state preferences while selecting examination centres, with their correspondence state as the mandatory first preference to facilitate allotment of centres closer to their residence. Test city intimation will be issued nearly three weeks before the examination to enable candidates to plan their travel and accommodation.
As part of the revised examination pattern, the paper will comprise 180 questions to be answered in 210 minutes, providing candidates with more time per question while retaining the overall duration of the examination.
To strengthen security, the examination will feature Aadhaar-based authentication during registration and on the examination day, with iris-based biometric verification available where fingerprint authentication is unsuccessful.
The ministry said a multi-layered security framework has been put in place, including CCTV surveillance, biometric authentication, candidate frisking, signal jammers, live monitoring through command centres and deployment of more than 60,000 examination functionaries. NBEMS has also operationalised a dedicated email address for reporting impersonation, touting and other unfair practices.
Nadda directed all concerned agencies to ensure close coordination so that candidates experience a smooth, secure and hassle-free examination process while maintaining the highest standards of transparency and integrity.