‘Punctuality matters’: Viral videos of NEET aspirants denied entry trigger debate

3 min readNew DelhiJun 22, 2026 10:51 AM IST

The incident took place as lakhs of candidates across the country appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination

Several candidates appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 re-examination were denied entry to an examination centre in Bengaluru on Sunday for arriving late, as per the rules set by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Viral videos showed distressed students standing outside the gates of Government Ramnarayan Chellaram College on Palace Road after being barred from entering the examination centre. One video showed a student attempting to climb over the closed gate after officials refused entry.

The incident occurred as lakhs of candidates across the country appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, conducted from 2 pm to 5.15 pm under heightened security measures.

According to NTA guidelines, candidates were allowed to begin entering examination centres from 11 am onwards. However, entry gates were scheduled to close strictly at 1.30 pm, after which no candidate was allowed inside the centres under any circumstances.

The testing agency had earlier advised candidates to report well in advance due to enhanced security arrangements introduced this year.

Watch here:

VIDEO | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Two students denied entry into the exam centre for NEET-UG re-examination after arriving late.

Amir Qadri, uncle of one of the aspirants, says, “I have come here with my nephew for his examination. While on our way to the examination centre, we… pic.twitter.com/O1gRJAFQ4o

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 21, 2026

The videos divided the internet with several users criticising the students for arriving late. “What if a doctor comes to emergency ward 5 min late? Patient will die. Then who is wrong? System or doctor? Punctuality matters everywhere,” a user wrote.

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“Why do they close the door, if someone comes late with a reason they should be allowed for examination, its totally wrong system,” another user commented. “Neet exam….no seriousness,” a third user reacted.

The re-examination was being conducted following the controversy surrounding the paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 examination held in May, which led authorities to order a fresh test.

NEET-UG is India’s largest undergraduate medical entrance examination and serves as the gateway for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical programmes across the country.