Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan extended his best wishes to students taking the NEET UG examination on Sunday, urging them to remain calm and focused.

He emphasised the medical profession’s values of compassion, service, and lifelong learning, expressing hope that all aspirants perform confidently.

In a message posted on X, Pradhan stated, “Best wishes to all students taking the NEET UG examination today. Stay calm, focused and give your best.” He added, “The medical profession stands for compassion, service and a lifelong commitment to learning. Wishing every aspirant the clarity and confidence to take a meaningful step towards this path.”

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2026 across India and abroad on Sunday from 2 PM to 5 PM. Over 22.79 lakh candidates are registered to appear at more than 5,400 centres.

Special provisions, including extra time until 6 PM, have been arranged for candidates with disabilities. The NTA has deployed over 2 lakh personnel to ensure the examination proceeds smoothly.

According to the NTA, “The National Testing Agency (NTA) is fully prepared for the conduct of NEET (UG) 2026, scheduled today from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (IST) in pen-and-paper mode. Candidates with disabilities (PwD/PwBD) eligible for compensatory time will be permitted to write the examination up to 6:00 PM.”

“The examination will be conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, at over 5,432 centres, for approximately 22.79 lakh registered candidates, making NEET (UG) 2026 one of the largest entrance examinations in the world. In all, over 2 lakh personnel have been mobilised to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination for 22.79 lakh candidates,” the NTA added.