NEET UG retest: Yoga Day banners obscure Pune college entrance, confuse many

3 min readPuneJun 21, 2026 03:23 PM IST

International Yoga Day banners at Pune’s SP College obscured the college signage. (Express Photo by Pavan Khengre)

Several students and parents arriving at Sir Parashurambhau (SP) College in Pune for the NEET-UG retest on Sunday faced confusion locating the examination centre after banners put up for International Yoga Day celebrations on the campus obscured the college’s name board and entrance signage.

Many candidates, especially those travelling from outside Pune, said they struggled to identify the correct entry point to the examination centre. The sprawling college campus has multiple gates located at considerable distances from one another, adding to the confusion.

“Most students were already under stress because of the retest. When we reached the campus, the college name board was completely covered by Yoga Day banners. There are four major gates, and it was difficult to figure out which one was meant for NEET candidates. Better signage should have been arranged to avoid confusion,” Prakash Bonde, a parent, told The Indian Express.

“Candidates travelled from outside Pune district and also from other corners of the city. They were already finding it difficult to navigate the small lanes of the city. Even when you miss the centre’s entrance gate on Tilak Road, they have to go a long distance for a U-turn. If the yoga event had happened in the morning, the authorities could’ve removed the banners immediately, making it easy to identify the college entrance,” Bonde added.

‘Yoga Day event could have been organised elsewhere’

Another parent questioned the decision to host a large public event at the same venue on the day of a major national examination.

“If SP College was selected as a NEET retest centre, there was no need to hold another major event on the same campus on the same day. The Yoga Day programme could have been organised elsewhere. It only added more traffic congestion, rush, and confusion for students and parents,” another parent said.

Candidates began reaching examination centres across the city hours before the test, with security checks, frisking, and verification of admit cards and identity documents carried out at entry points.

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The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the NEET-UG 2026 retest following the cancellation of the May 3 examination amid an ongoing investigation into a question paper leak.

The examination was scheduled from 2 pm to 5.15 pm on Sunday, with candidates given an additional 15 minutes compared to the earlier format.

According to the NTA, the retest is being held at 5,440 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 centres overseas. The examination is being conducted in English and 12 Indian languages.

To strengthen monitoring and security, over 95,000 examination rooms have been brought under CCTV surveillance. More than 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras have been installed, with live feeds monitored at national, state and ministry levels. Additionally, over 51,000 jammers have been deployed to prevent electronic malpractice.