Millions of aspiring medical students across India are retaking a decisive examination under extraordinary security measures after the original paper was scrapped over allegations that the questions had been leaked.
On Sunday morning, anxious candidates faced biometric verification, metal detectors, armoured patrols and physical searches at examination centres.
The Indian Air Force was used to transport the new question papers to some areas, while police and paramilitary forces were stationed at 5,440 centres nationwide.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), known as NEET-UG, is mandatory for students seeking admission to medical colleges in India.
Although millions sit the test each year, only a small share perform well enough to win a place at a sought-after institution.
Nearly 2.28 million candidates took the exam on 3 May after months, and in some cases years, of preparation for the notoriously difficult paper.
The decision to cancel it was a major blow for many students, and the controversy triggered widespread protests and calls for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to step down.
Pradhan did not resign, and before Sunday’s exam he urged students to “sit fearlessly, without worry, and you will definitely do well.”
The National Testing Agency (NTA) said all more than 95,000 exam rooms had been equipped with security cameras, bringing the total number of installed cameras to over 1.3 million.
It also said 51,311 jammers were being used to block mobile signals and electrical interference. Telegram has been temporarily blocked until Monday over concerns that the messaging app could be used for cheating.
Nearly 39,000 frisking staff were deployed nationwide to search for banned items, the NTA said, with 40 to 50 security personnel assigned to each exam centre.
The agency advised students to “ignore rumours and fake ‘paper leak’ messages circulating on social media”, saying they were intended to “mislead and cause stress”.
Reports said drones and dog squads had also been deployed to monitor areas around some centres.
Strict dress codes were enforced, including a ban on enclosed shoes, and some women were asked to remove nose pins and wrist threads.
Despite the increased precautions, some students said they remained concerned that problems could happen again.
“There is fear because the [exam] paper has leaked once already. This is not a one-off thing, it happens every year,” one student, who gave their name as Diksha, told Reuters.
“This time [the authorities] got to know about it and are holding the exam again, which is in a way a good thing because the students who worked hard should get fair results. But to study and prepare again in one month… to stay consistent is difficult.”
The exam lasts three hours and 15 minutes and includes 180 questions on physics, chemistry and biology.
Many students use private tutoring to improve their chances, but the test’s difficulty and fierce competition for college places have encouraged organised crime networks in India to profit from exam fraud.
The allegations of leaking have been referred to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
This is not the first time the country has faced serious accusations of exam cheating and irregularities.
In 2024, the same medical test was marred by allegations of paper leaks, fraud and irregularities in the awarding of grace marks, prompting nationwide protests after thousands of candidates received unusually high scores.
Earlier this year, results for a Grade 12 exam, equivalent to A-levels in the UK, drew complaints about marking errors after a new digital marking system was introduced.