NEET-PG 2026 Adds Aadhaar Biometrics and Single-Shift Exam

The central government has announced a comprehensive reform of the security and administration for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2026, scheduled for August 30. The changes, unveiled by the Union Health Ministry, introduce a multi-layered security framework and several candidate-centric measures aimed at enhancing integrity and convenience for the record 273,183 registered examinees, a 12.5 percent increase from last year.

A cornerstone of the overhaul is the introduction of mandatory Aadhaar-based authentication and biometric verification, both during the application process and on examination day. Iris-based verification will serve as a backup where fingerprint authentication fails. Examination centers will be equipped with extensive CCTV surveillance monitored in real-time from central command rooms, signal jammers to block electronic devices, and live supervision by independent observers. More than 60,000 officials will be deployed across approximately 1,300 centers in 340 cities to oversee the process.

In a significant administrative shift, the examination will be conducted in a single nationwide shift instead of multiple sessions, a...