SFI demands that NTA release the attendance of NEET candidates who appeared for the re-exam held on 21 June 2026

The Students' Federation of India demands that the NTA release the attendance of candidates who appeared for the NEET-UG re-exam held on 21 June 2026. Around 22 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET-UG exam held on May 3rd, which was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. NTA announced a re-examination on 21st June. However, several centres across the country reported an unjustified gap between the candidates who applied for the exam and the candidates who appeared.

According to ANI, the centres in Coimbatore reported 75.63% attendance for the exam, reflecting an absence of 1728 candidates out of the 7092 who registered. Similarly, the centres in Tiruchi also show a low turnout, with 1799 candidates absent from the exam. Other centres also show irregularities in attendance percentages. While 22 lakh students appeared for the exam during the previous attempt, NTA, in its statement, has reported that "more than 20 lakh aspirants" appeared for the re-examination. This raises concerns about the circumstances under which approximately 2 lakh candidates did not appear for the examination.

The cancellation of the previous exam adversely affected the aspirants and their families, forcing around 20 students to take their lives. A large number of students were subjected to intense mental and psychological torture through paper leaks and continuous irregularities by NTA and MHRD. The situation has structurally isolated the students from marginalised sections by pushing them further towards economic and mental distress. However, the silence of Dharmendra Pradhan, India's Education Minister, continues.

The situation exposes the failure of the "One Nation, One Exam" policy and the inefficiency of NTA and MHRD in safeguarding the integrity of the national-level exams of greater significance. The low turnout of candidates in different centres further exposes the exclusionary character of NTA. Thus, we demand the immediate release of attendance and candidate turnout rates from NTA in different centres across the nation. We call upon researchers, academics, and all stakeholders in higher education to come together, critically analyse, and question this unjustified gap.

Released by
Adarsh M. Saji (President, SFI)
Srijan Bhattacharyya (General Secretary, SFI)