NEET-UG retest: NMC bars leave for medical students to block proxy candidates

THe subject Medical charge (NMC) has asked all medical colleges non to give allow to medical students on June 20 and 21 to prevent them from appearing as proxy candidates in the NEET-UG 2026 retest on Sunday.The direction was issued on the directions from the department of higher education (DoHE) under the Union education ministry.“This measure is intended as a preventive step to discourage any potential misuse and to support the fair conduct of the examination,” NMC secretary Dr Raghav Langer said in a notice dated June 18.The notice asked for “strict compliance” by all medical colleges and institutes.Medical students were also barred from going on leave on May 2-3 this year in view of the NEET-UG 2026 held on May 3. The exam was scrapped on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak, including overlaps between a pre-circulated guess paper and the actual paper. More than 2.27 million candidates appeared for the May 3 examination.On June 13, DoHE secretary Vineet Joshi wrote to Union health ministry secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, urging vigilance and sensitisation of students against any involvement in malpractices. He also recommended denying leave to students on June 20–21 except in justified cases.“In view of certain instances reported in the past… all medical colleges shall remain vigilant and ensure that medical students are sensitised against any involvement in activities prejudicial to the conduct of the examination,” the NMC notice said.Officials in NMC, NTA and education ministry said at least 7 MBBS students were arrested from Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan in connection with the NEET UG 2024 on charges that they either appeared as proxy candidates for aspirants or were part of the solver gangs.“There have been some instances in the past wherein various investigation agencies and the education ministry brought to our notice that some of the medical students were alleged to have been involved in impersonation and sitting as proxy candidates. In order to ensure the sanctity of this exam, the education ministry requested us to issue the notice and we have asked the medical college to remain vigilant and not to grant leaves to students on June 20 and June 21,” a senior NMC official told HT, requesting anonymity.NTA will conduct the NEET-UG re-examination in a single shift from 2pm to 5:15pm in pen-and-paper mode on Sunday across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad for over 22.79 lakh candidates.Qualifying NEET-UG is mandatory for admission to MBBS and other UG medical courses.Over 2 lakh personnel have been deployed nationwide, including 674 city coordinators, 6,669 observers, centre superintendents and invigilators, district administration officials, police and escort teams. Personnel from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also been roped in to assist with the secure transportation and safeguarding of confidential examination materials and overall security arrangements.NTA has also announced that it will send examination updates and centre information directly to candidates via its verified WhatsApp account at +91 7827980287. This initiative is intended to ensure essential information reaches candidates directly and to reduce avoidable confusion, the agency said.