20.8 lakh candidates appeared in ‘smoothly-held’ NEET UG 2025

NEW DELHI: Over 20.8 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET UG 2025 examination held across 548 cities in India and 14 international centres, said sources at the Ministry of Education on Sunday.

The sources added that the nationwide test was conducted smoothly without any major issues or reports of malpractice.

“20.8 lakh candidates appeared in the exam. There is no doubt — it happened smoothly,” the source said, adding that only minor issues like late arrivals and some confusion over dress codes were reported. “No violations or use of unfair means have been reported so far,” the source confirmed.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for organising the medical entrance exam, adopted a coordinated “whole-of-government” approach to ensure secure and fair conduct.

A Centralised Control Room was established under the Ministry of Education, bringing together officials from the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Home Affairs, Defence, and Electronics & IT (MeitY). This hub monitored real-time developments in coordination with district administrations and police forces across the country.

To strengthen oversight, nodal Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were assigned to work with local authorities for on-ground monitoring. Mock drills were conducted at all 5,453 centres on May 3 to test biometric verification systems, mobile signal jammers, frisking personnel readiness, and other logistics.

The majority of centres were set up in government and government-aided institutions to ensure administrative reliability. Given the exam’s afternoon schedule during peak summer, authorities ensured the availability of drinking water, power backup, portable toilets, and first-aid facilities at each centre.

To curb misinformation and prevent malpractice, the NTA launched a Suspicious Claims Reporting Portal on April 26. The portal received over 2,300 reports, most related to false claims of leaked papers on social media. Officials identified 106 Telegram and 16 Instagram channels spreading misinformation, and complaints have been filed with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). Action is underway, and requests have been sent to social media platforms to remove fake content and share admin details.

On Sunday as well, fresh complaints were lodged against some active channels on Telegram and Instagram, ministry sources confirmed. These are also being examined by I4C, sources informed. (ANI)