India conducts massive NEET exam retake for over 2 million candidates

More than 2.2 million Indian students sat for a second round of the NEET medical entrance exam after the original test was cancelled amid allegations that the question paper had been leaked. The retake was conducted under an unprecedented “airport‑style” security regime: biometric scans, metal‑detector gates, AI‑enabled cameras, GPS tracking of exam papers and the deployment of roughly 200,000 security personnel nationwide.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pledged a “fair and transparent” examination, while the government launched a comprehensive probe into the leak. In response to reports that the leaked paper was being sold on the Telegram messaging app, authorities temporarily blocked access to the platform. NEET remains the sole gateway to India’s medical schools, with only about 5‑6 % of candidates securing a seat, leading to severe mental and physical strain among aspirants. Protests and calls for re‑evaluation have erupted, highlighting broader concerns over the integrity of India’s large‑scale testing system.