Agencies | New Delhi:
The NEET-PG 2026 examination was conducted nationwide on Sunday, August 30, with more than 2.65 lakh candidates appearing at examination centres across the country. However, technical disruptions at two centres in Sitapura, Jaipur, affected thousands of candidates and triggered protests outside the examination venues.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) said an unforeseen technical disruption at the iON Digital Zone iDZ Sitapura centres in Jaipur prevented 2,445 candidates from completing the examination.
According to NBEMS, the disruption occurred at examination centres 41682 and 41683 due to internal power-supply issues attributed to M/s TCS Ltd., the examination conducting agency.
Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused, NBEMS said arrangements had been made to ensure that all affected candidates receive a fair and equitable opportunity to take the examination.
The board has scheduled a re-examination for all 2,445 affected candidates on September 5, 2026, at 3 pm in Jaipur.
The decision follows the disruption that prevented the candidates from completing the test under normal examination conditions.
The re-test is aimed at ensuring that the affected candidates are not disadvantaged because of circumstances beyond their control.
The technical problems sparked protests outside the examination centres in Sitapura, with candidates demanding action over what they described as repeated system failures during the test.
Some candidates alleged that the examination systems repeatedly malfunctioned, making it difficult to attempt the paper and creating uncertainty inside the examination halls.
Candidate Vishnu Sharma alleged that the systems crashed around 20 times during the examination. He further claimed that the disruptions created confusion among candidates and affected the overall examination environment.
Sharma also alleged that candidates were able to discuss questions openly during periods when the systems were down. He demanded cancellation of the examination and a nationwide re-test, arguing that all candidates should receive an equal and fair opportunity.
The allegations made by candidates could not independently be verified.
NEET-PG 2026 was scheduled for 2,73,096 candidates across 1,111 examination centres in 339 cities, covering all 36 States and Union Territories.
Of the candidates scheduled to appear, 2,65,980 candidates actually took the examination, while approximately 2,63,535 candidates successfully completed it, according to NBEMS.
The examination was conducted amid extensive arrangements for security, technology and monitoring.
The disruption in Jaipur, however, has raised concerns among affected candidates over the reliability of technical infrastructure at high-stakes computer-based examinations.
While NBEMS has announced a re-examination specifically for the 2,445 candidates affected at the Jaipur centres, some candidates have demanded that the test be conducted again nationwide.
They argue that the alleged disruptions compromised the examination environment and have called for a broader review of the examination process.
The controversy has once again highlighted the importance of robust power backup, technical infrastructure and contingency arrangements for large-scale computer-based examinations, particularly those determining admission to postgraduate medical programmes.
For now, the nationwide NEET-PG 2026 examination remains completed for the vast majority of candidates, while the affected Jaipur candidates will get another opportunity to appear for the test on September 5.
