Rahul Gandhi Condemns NTA After Student Allotted Abu Dhabi Exam Center

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi condemned the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 20, 2026, after a NEET-UG candidate from Nagpur, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, was assigned an examination center at the Abu Dhabi Indian School in the United Arab Emirates. The error was discovered just one day before the June 21 re-examination. Gandhi described the incident as an extortion of a generation's mental peace and urged the government to stop gambling with students' futures.

The NTA contested the claim that the allotment was a simple error, stating that web-activity records showed the candidate changed his own preferences to Abu Dhabi and Dubai via his registered login. However, the student's father, Mohammad Talib, noted that his son did not possess a passport, making travel impossible. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh confirmed the issue was resolved and the student was reassigned to a center in Nagpur following an informal request.

On June 21, the NTA conducted the NEET-UG re-examination for over 22.79 lakh candidates across 5,440 centers. The re-exam followed a paper leak controversy currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation. To prevent further irregularities, the agency deployed signal jammers, biometric authentication, and paramilitary forces. Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy demanded accountability from Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, linking previous exam leaks to the loss of 11 lives.