The incident has drawn attention just days before the re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) later acknowledged the issue and attributed it to a technical glitch, assuring the student that corrective action would be taken.
Admit card shows centre in Abu Dhabi
Abdullah Mohammad Talib, a candidate from Nagpur, reportedly found the discrepancy after downloading his NEET UG 2026 re-exam admit card from the official NTA website.
Instead of being allotted a centre within India, the document indicated that he was scheduled to appear for the examination at a school in Abu Dhabi.
The NEET aspirant's admit card with an Abu Dhabi exam centre. Photo: IBNS arrangements
According to reports, Abdullah had submitted his application from Nagpur and expected an examination centre in one of his preferred cities.
The situation became more complicated because he does not possess a passport, making international travel impossible.
A screenshot of the admit card later circulated on social media, bringing the matter into the public spotlight.
Family in shock
The student's family said they were surprised by the unexpected centre allocation.
According to them, Abdullah had selected Nagpur, Wardha and Bhandara as his preferred examination cities while completing the application process.
Speaking to the media, his father, Dr Mohammad Talib, said, "We are shocked. My son started crying after seeing the admit card."
He added that Abdullah does not have a passport and therefore could not travel abroad to take the examination.
"My son is a NEET aspirant,we weren't able to download the admit card at first
— Nehr_who? (@Nher_who) June 20, 2026
After trying several times,we downloaded it but now the exam centre is in Abu Dhabi"
Imagine giving a foreign country as an exam centre for Indian exam😂
Happens only in Vishwachodu ka Amritkaal !! pic.twitter.com/bW3c2zTnQP
NTA responds to complaint
After the issue was brought to the attention of NTA officials, the agency reportedly reviewed the matter and identified it as a technical error.
Responding to concerns raised on the social media platform X, the NTA stated that the candidate's grievance was being addressed.
The agency said that, following verification, an examination centre in Nagpur would be allotted to the student within a few hours and that a corrected admit card would be issued.
Candidates advised to check admit cards carefully
The incident has prompted renewed attention to the importance of verifying details mentioned on examination documents.
Candidates have been advised to immediately report any discrepancies related to personal information, examination centres or other important details to the concerned authorities to avoid last-minute complications.
NEET UG re-exam scheduled for June 21
The NEET UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to take place on June 21 in pen-and-paper mode.
According to the examination schedule, the test will be conducted from 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm.
Candidates appearing for the examination must carry their admit cards along with all required documents to their allotted centres.