A NEET-UG candidate in Rajasthan alleged she was initially prevented from entering her examination centre for wearing a burqa
June 21, 2026: A controversy briefly surfaced at a NEET-UG re-examination centre in Ajmer, Rajasthan, after a student alleged that she was stopped from entering the venue because she was wearing a burqa. The candidate said she had appeared for the original NEET examination on May 3 in the same attire without facing any objections. According to her, officials first asked her to remove her dupatta and later insisted that she remove the burqa as well. She maintained that if religious attire is permitted under examination guidelines, candidates should not be prevented from taking the test.
The student’s father also supported her claim, stating that she had previously taken the exam while wearing a burqa. He referred to examination rules that allow candidates to appear in religious attire and suggested that a female staff member could have conducted the required security check in a private area. According to him, the family requested such an arrangement, but initially faced resistance from centre authorities.
Responding to the allegations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) clarified that the student was ultimately allowed to enter the examination centre and sit for the NEET-UG re-test. Ajmer CO North Shivam Joshi said the issue arose due to confusion regarding certain rules and was resolved after senior officials provided clarification. He added that all candidates were admitted peacefully and no further disputes were reported at the centre. The NEET-UG re-exam is being conducted for more than 22 lakh candidates after the original May 3 examination was cancelled due to a paper leak controversy.