Odisha NEET candidate gets centre 1,500 km away, gets revised venue after complaint
A NEET-UG 2026 re-exam candidate from Odisha faced panic after being allotted a centre nearly 1,500 kilometres away in Dehradun. Following a complaint from her family, the National Testing Agency has now corrected the error and shifted her centre to Bhubaneswar.
by India Today Education Desk · India TodayIn Short
- Sanjana Sanjibani found a distant Uttarakhand venue on her re-exam admit card
- She had earlier been assigned Bhubaneswar during the main NEET cycle
- Her family said last-minute travel would hurt preparation and exam performance
A NEET-UG 2026 re-examination candidate from Odisha was left shocked after her admit card showed an examination centre in Dehradun, Uttarakhand—almost 1,500 kilometres away from her home in Bhubaneswar. The unexpected allotment triggered concern and confusion just days before the scheduled exam.
The student, identified as Sanjana Sanjibani, had originally been allotted Bhubaneswar as her examination centre during the main NEET-UG cycle. However, when the re-exam admit card was issued, she discovered that her centre had been changed to Dehradun, creating a serious logistical and emotional strain.
The sudden change posed a major challenge for the family, as arranging travel across such a long distance at short notice would have been both difficult and stressful ahead of a crucial competitive examination.
Sanjana’s father, Sanjay Biswal, a former serviceman, raised the issue with authorities, highlighting the practical difficulties the family would face. He said long-distance travel could have negatively impacted the student’s preparation and performance.
FAMILY TAKES THE MATTER TO AUTHORITIES
Following the confusion, the family sent multiple emails to the concerned authorities, requesting immediate correction of the examination centre. They explained the urgency of the situation and the hardship involved in travelling such a distance just before the exam.
The complaint was taken up by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which reviewed the matter after receiving the request.
NTA STEPS IN FOR CORRECTION
Acting on the grievance, the NTA revised the examination centre allocation before the scheduled test date. The student’s centre has now been shifted back to Bhubaneswar, restoring the original location and easing last-minute stress for the family.
Officials have treated the matter as a correction based on genuine hardship and logistical error, ensuring the candidate is able to appear for the examination without disruption.
RELIEF BEFORE EXAM DAY
With the revised allotment, Sanjana will now be able to appear for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination in Bhubaneswar, avoiding long-distance travel and allowing her to focus on preparation instead of travel uncertainty.
The case adds to a series of recent examination-related centre allocation issues reported ahead of the NEET re-exam, prompting closer scrutiny of admit card and centre assignment systems.
- Ends