New Delhi: Ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled to be held on June 21, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has come under fresh scrutiny after reports that a candidate from Nagpur was allotted an exam center in Abu Dhabi due to an alleged technical glitch during the exam.According to media reports, the candidate Abdullah Mohammad Talib from Nagpur received an admission ticket indicating that the Indian School in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was the designated examination center for his re-examination. The development has raised eyebrows as the exams are being conducted across India.Admission ticket allegedly shows overseas exam centerAccording to reports, the candidates’ admission tickets clearly listed the Indian School in Abu Dhabi as the designated examination center. Pictures of admission tickets also appeared in media reports, with live coverage highlighting the unusual distribution.The reported allocations raise some practical questions. It is unclear whether the candidate has a valid passport or has made any travel arrangements. There is also uncertainty about who will bear the costs if exams need to be taken abroad.New questions about exam administrationThe reported incident comes at a time when the NTA is already facing criticism for various aspects of the NEET examination process. Media reports cited delays, technical glitches and logistical issues affecting candidates at different stages of the exam cycle.The latest development adds another worrying issue, with reported overseas center allocations being described as the result of a technical error in the system.Family members said they were shocked to receive the admission ticketThe candidate’s father, Mohammad Talib, told ANI that the family found out about the overseas exam center after downloading the admission ticket.He said they were “really shocked” that they had not selected any such option when submitting their application. According to him, the family contacted the NTA helpline and was advised to send an email regarding the issue. He added that they later received a call informing them that new admission tickets would be issued by 4 pm on Saturday.Mohammad Talib further said that they had selected three districts while filling the application and requested that Nagpur be allotted as the examination centre. He said there was not enough time to travel to another area before the exam.He also told ANI that his son was deeply distressed after seeing the admit card. According to him, the candidate “cryed a lot” and initially did not want to take the test, while his mother tried to encourage him to continue taking the test. He added that his son did not have a passport.NTA says grievance is being resolvedResponding to the matter, NTA said that the grievance is being resolved and after due verification, the candidate will be allotted to an examination center in Nagpur in the next few hours.The agency’s response indicated that reported overseas center allocations were being corrected before being re-examined.The re-examination is scheduled for June 21The NEET-UG re-examination is scheduled to be conducted on June 21. The reported case emerged the day before the exam, which comes amid a wider review of the exam process following reports of technical glitches and logistical issues for some candidates.
