Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2026, stressing the need for a smooth, secure, transparent and technology-enabled examination. The entrance test is scheduled to be held on August 30, 2026.
During the review meeting, the minister assessed the preparedness of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), technology partners and other stakeholders involved in conducting the examination. He was briefed on examination logistics, candidate facilitation measures, security arrangements and technology-driven interventions introduced for this year’s examination.
Nadda emphasised that every effort should be made to ensure a fair, transparent and candidate-friendly examination while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and security.
A total of 2,73,183 candidates have registered for NEET-PG 2026, marking an increase of more than 12.5 per cent over the previous year. The examination will be conducted in a single shift across approximately 340 cities and more than 1,300 examination centres, significantly improving accessibility for candidates across the country.
The minister urged aspirants not to be misled by rumours or fraudulent claims regarding the examination. He said the final question paper is selected through a highly secure, encrypted and time-bound process shortly before the examination begins, with multiple technological and operational safeguards ensuring complete confidentiality until the scheduled start time.
Stating that any claim of prior access to the question paper is false and intended to mislead candidates, Nadda advised aspirants to rely only on official communications issued by the NBEMS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). He also urged candidates to promptly report any suspicious activities or attempts at unfair practices.
The ministry has introduced several student-centric reforms for NEET-PG 2026. Candidates are now required to indicate three state preferences for examination centres, with their correspondence state as the mandatory first preference, enabling allotment of centres closer to their place of residence.
To improve convenience, candidates will receive information about their allotted test city nearly three weeks before the examination, allowing them sufficient time to plan travel and accommodation.
The examination pattern has also been revised, with 180 questions to be answered in 210 minutes, providing candidates with more time per question while maintaining the overall duration of the examination.
To strengthen authentication, Aadhaar-based verification has been incorporated during both the application process and on the examination day. Iris-based biometric verification will be used wherever fingerprint authentication is unsuccessful.
Reviewing the security arrangements, Nadda examined the multi-layered framework put in place for the examination, including advance sealing and verification of examination centres, CCTV surveillance, biometric authentication, candidate frisking, deployment of signal jammers, dynamic computer monitoring, live supervision through central and regional command centres, and real-time monitoring by independent observers and appraisers.
More than 60,000 examination functionaries will be deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.
The ministry said the end-to-end question paper preparation and delivery process has been further strengthened through multiple layers of encryption, secure offline preparation, time-bound finalisation of the question paper shortly before the examination, and controlled digital decryption only at the scheduled commencement of the test.
To further enhance transparency and curb unfair practices, NBEMS has operationalised a dedicated email address for reporting instances of impersonation, touting and other malpractices, while regularly issuing advisories to create awareness among candidates.
The Health Minister directed all concerned agencies to maintain close coordination to ensure every candidate experiences a smooth, secure and hassle-free examination. He reiterated the government’s commitment to conducting medical entrance examinations with the highest standards of transparency, fairness and technological robustness.
