NEET re-examination is scheduled to be held on June 21 | Photo Credit: K V S Giri

Cabinet Secretary T V Somnathan warned on Friday that anyone disrupting the NEET re-examination will face ‘full might and weight’ of the law. He held a review meeting with the National testing Agency (NTA) regarding the preparedness for the re-examination.

The re-examination is scheduled to be held on June 21. Meanwhile, NTA also announced a series of student-friendly measures for NEET (UG) 2026 on Friday, including additional rough-work space and an extended examination window

During the review meeting, Somnathan said that the Central Government, State Governments and District administration are working together in close coordination to ensure the smooth conduct of the NEET re-examination. “The full might and weight of the law will fall on any person trying in any manner to distort, disrupt, or tamper with the integrity or smooth conduct of the re-examination,” he said.

He emphasised the need to ensure a smooth, transparent and secure conduct of the re-examination through close coordination among all concerned stakeholders. He reviewed the arrangements with the Secretaries of the Central Government and relevant agencies on June 1. Subsequently, on June 4, he also held a review meeting with the Chief Secretaries of the State Governments to assess the preparedness and progress of the arrangements.

“These meetings are aimed at ensuring effective coordination, strengthening preparedness and maintaining the integrity and credibility of the NEET re-examination process,” an official statement said.

Meanwhile, NTA on Friday said that the examination will be conducted from 2 pm to 5:15 pm, providing a total window of 195 minutes. The duration of the examination has been extended by 15 minutes. “This window is designed to accommodate the invigilation formalities at the start and end of the examination, such as the signing requirements, which candidates earlier felt reduced their effective working time,” the agency said.

The NTA has also doubled the number of pages provided for rough work in the question paper booklet from two to four pages, giving candidates additional space for calculations and reasoning. “Candidates may preferably use the rough-work pages provided at the beginning and at the end of the booklet for this purpose,” it said.

Redesigned Booklet

In another change, the agency has redesigned the placement of rough-work pages to better support left-handed candidates. Earlier, rough-work pages were provided only at the end of the booklet. Under the revised format, two rough-work pages will be placed at the beginning of the booklet, immediately after the instruction page, in addition to those at the end in both English and regional-language versions of the question paper.

“The booklet now offers rough-work space at both the front and the back, allowing every candidate to work comfortably, and it is especially helpful for left-handed candidates, who account for nearly 10 per cent of all candidates,” it said, adding that these measures reflect its recognition that small, thoughtful changes in examination design can make a meaningful difference to a candidate’s comfort during the high-stakes hours of the examination.

The NEET-UG for admissions to medical courses took place on May 3 this year but was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 amid allegations of a paper leak. The CBI is currently investigating this matter.

Published on June 12, 2026