NEET UG 2026 Abu Dhabi row: NTA says city change made via candidate's own login
Synopsis
A Nagpur NEET-UG 2026 aspirant without a passport was allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi — and the NTA's response has only deepened the questions. The agency says its logs show the change was made through the student's own login, but the family insists they selected only Maharashtra cities. With the re-exam just 48 hours away, the NTA did process the correction — but the credibility gap around its systems remains wide open.
Key Takeaways
The NTA stated that its web-activity records show the Abu Dhabi centre change was made via Abdullah Talib's own registered login during the correction window.
The agency received an informal request on 19 June evening — 48 hours before the exam — and processed the centre change to Nagpur .
Nearly 3.2 lakh candidates used the correction facility; more than 99.5% were allotted their preferred cities.
The candidate's family said he had selected only Nagpur , Wardha , and Bhandara as preferred cities and does not hold a passport.
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination was scheduled for 21 June .
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday, 20 June responded to a viral controversy involving a NEET-UG 2026 aspirant from Nagpur who was allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi, stating that its web-activity records show the city change was made through the candidate's own registered login during the correction window. The agency, however, accepted the student's request and processed a centre change ahead of the 21 June re-examination.
What the NTA Said
In a post on social media platform X, the NTA clarified: 'Reference the issue with regard to allotment of a centre in Abu Dhabi to a candidate in Nagpur, NTA would like to state: Following the rescheduling of NEET (UG) 2026 to 21 June, the National Testing Agency reopened the examination-city correction window to assist candidates.'
The agency noted that nearly 3.2 lakh candidates used the correction facility and that more than 99.5 per cent were allotted their preferred examination cities. On the specific Abu Dhabi case, the NTA stated: 'NTA's web-activity records indicate that the city change in this case was made through the candidate's own registered login during the open correction window, with a consistent single-user access pattern.'
Timeline of the Centre Change
According to the NTA, its records show the examination centre was changed to Abu Dhabi once using the candidate's credentials and was previewed twice thereafter. The agency received an informal request on the evening of 19 June — just 48 hours before the examination — to shift the centre back to Nagpur.
'NTA personnel immediately initiated the change and contacted the candidate's father on 19th evening itself to help them complete the formal process,' the agency said. It added that despite the login trail, it prioritised a 'Student-First' approach, ensuring the aspirant would not miss the examination over an administrative doubt.
The Candidate's Account
The controversy centred on Abdullah Talib, a resident of Nagpur, who reportedly selected Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara as his preferred examination cities while filling out the application form. When the admit card was issued, it displayed a centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, rather than any location in Maharashtra.
The situation was compounded by the fact that Abdullah does not possess a passport, making overseas travel impossible. His family said the error caused considerable distress, particularly with less than a day remaining before the re-examination. Notably, he had appeared for the earlier NEET examination at a centre in Nagpur.
Public Reaction and Broader Context
The incident gained rapid traction on social media, with students and parents raising concerns over how such an error could occur in one of India's largest and most competitive entrance examinations. This comes amid heightened scrutiny of the NTA following controversies around the NEET-UG process in recent years, making any administrative irregularity — real or perceived — a flashpoint.
The NTA's clarification places the responsibility on the candidate's login session, though the agency has not addressed how a student selecting only Maharashtra cities could end up with an overseas centre in the system. With the re-examination scheduled for 21 June, the centre change has since been processed, and the NTA has indicated it will continue to monitor such cases closely.
Point of View
The system design is the failure, not the student. The agency's 'Student-First' framing is welcome in outcome but deflects accountability for a process that produced an impossible result: a passport-less domestic candidate assigned to an overseas centre. Repeated NEET controversies have eroded public trust in the NTA's systems; a log-trail defence, without a UI audit or independent verification, will do little to restore it.
NationPress
20 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was a Nagpur NEET candidate allotted an Abu Dhabi examination centre?
The NTA says its web-activity records show the city change to Abu Dhabi was made through the candidate's own registered login during the open correction window. The candidate's family, however, maintains they selected only Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara as preferred cities.
What action did the NTA take after the Abu Dhabi allotment came to light?
After receiving an informal request on the evening of 19 June — about 48 hours before the re-examination — the NTA immediately initiated a centre change and contacted the candidate's father to complete the formal process. The centre was subsequently shifted to Nagpur.
How many candidates used the NEET 2026 city correction window?
Nearly 3.2 lakh candidates used the correction facility after the NTA reopened it following the rescheduling of NEET-UG 2026 to 21 June. The agency says more than 99.5 per cent of them were allotted their preferred examination cities.
Who is the candidate at the centre of the Abu Dhabi controversy?
The candidate is Abdullah Talib, a resident of Nagpur. He does not hold a passport, making overseas travel impossible. He had previously appeared for the earlier NEET examination at a centre in Nagpur.
When was the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled?
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination was scheduled for 21 June 2026. The NTA had rescheduled the exam and reopened the city correction window as part of that process.
