More than 20 million aspiring medical students across India sat a high-stakes re-examination on Sunday under some of the most extensive security arrangements the country has ever deployed for a public exam. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, is the mandatory gateway for admission to India's medical colleges and is among the most competitive examinations in the world. The original sitting, held on 3 May with 22.05 lakh — roughly 2.2 million — candidates, was scrapped after allegations emerged that the question paper had been leaked, sparking widespread protests and calls for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

To prevent a repeat, authorities mobilised an extraordinary array of security measures across 5,440 exam centres in 551 cities, as well as 14 centres abroad. The Indian Air Force transported fresh question papers to some regions, while police, paramilitary units, and around 700,000 officials in total were deployed at venues. More than 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras were installed — with feeds monitored simultaneously at the national, state, and ministry levels — and over 51,000 signal jammers were used to block phones and electronic devices. Biometric and Aadhaar-based facial authentication checked candidates at entry, and nearly 39,000 frisking staff conducted two-layer physical searches. Telegram, the messaging app, was temporarily blocked amid concerns it could be used to circulate stolen questions. In some states, drones and dog squads patrolled the perimeters of exam centres.

The heightened scrutiny created friction at several venues. Female candidates reported having their hair inspected, earrings removed, and nose pins and wrist threads confiscated. A candidate wearing a burqa in Rajasthan's Ajmer was initially denied entry before the National Testing Agency (NTA) confirmed she was later allowed in. Two students in Bhopal were turned away for arriving late after a road accident. The NTA urged candidates to ignore social media rumours of fresh leaks, saying such messages were designed to cause stress. Despite the reassurances, many students said anxiety lingered.