Over 50,000 aspirants to appear for NEET-UG Exam in J&K today

Over 50,000 aspirants to appear for NEET-UG Exam in J&K today

Race for 1676 MBBS seats, hundreds of other professional courses’ seats

Srinagar, May 2: Over 50,000 MBBS and BDS aspirants are expected to appear in the NEET-UG 2026 scheduled today, making it one of the largest academic events here.

Elaborate arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth and fair conduct of the examination across the centers in J&K. Official figures for the number of candidates for this year have not been disclosed, trends from previous years suggest the aspirants would range between 48,000 to 52,000 candidates. This marks the highest turnouts from J&K in recent years.

This year, as per the figures released by Union Ministry of Health and Medical Education last month, 1676 MBBS seats are available to candidates in J&K this year. In addition, aspirants will also compete for BDS, BVSc, Bachelors in AYUSH and many other courses, NEET-UG is mandatory for these professional courses.

The examination will be conducted at designated centres located across government institutions, although, some private institutions have also been designated as exam centers. The exam is overseen by the National Testing Agency (NTA). A majority of candidates will take the test at centres located in Srinagar and Jammu, which traditionally accommodate the bulk of aspirants. In addition, centers have also been allocated across many districts of J&K, to smoothen access to students. Apart from the capital cities, exam centers have been set up in Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara, Pulwama. Samba, Udhampur, and Kathua.

Officials said all centres have been equipped as per the guidelines of NTA to ensure proper seating, availability of drinking water, electricity backup and other basic facilities for candidates.

In addition, robust monitoring mechanisms have been put in place, including CCTV surveillance, frisking at entry points and biometric verification of candidates to maintain transparency and prevent any malpractice, officials said. As per the norms, district administrations will oversee smooth conduct of the examination, regulate traffic around centres and facilitate hassle-free movement of candidates.

NTA has advised candidates to reach their designated centres well before the exam time in order to ensure they do not get barred from entering. Moreover, reporting well before the scheduled time is mandatory to complete verification and other formalities. Candidates must carry their admit cards and a valid proof of identity. Prescribing to dress code and examination guidelines is also necessary to avoid barring from sitting for the test and inconvenience.

At the national level, more than 22.7 lakh candidates have registered for NEET-UG 2026. This exam serves as the single entrance test for admission to undergraduate medical courses including MBBS, BDS, BVSc, BAMS, BUMS, BSMS and BHMS. It is also mandatory for MBBS in foreign medical colleges as well as for admission to B.Sc Nursing programmes under Armed Forces Medical Services. (GK)