NEET UG 2026 Registration Date Highlights: NTA starts application for neet.nta.nic.in

Providing relief to students, the Supreme Court on Thursday regularised their Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degrees secured from private dental colleges of Rajasthan after being admitted by granting relaxation in NEET percentile for the academic year 2016-17.

However, a bench of Justices J K Maheswari and Vijay Bishnoi imposed heavy penalties on erring private dental colleges and the state government for flouting norms.

The Supreme Court also asked the students availing the benefits to give an undertaking before the High Court that they will do pro-bono service in case of natural calamities or health emergency in Rajasthan for a maximum cumulative period of two years in their lifetime.

In a judgment, the Supreme Court ordered 10 private dental colleges in Rajasthan to pay a penalty of Rs 10 crore each for admission irregularities, stating that their deliberate violations and unlawful practices required stern punitive measures.

The bench, comprising Justices Vijay Bishnoi and J.K. Maheshwari, criticised both the colleges and the state government, noting that such actions had compromised the standards of medical education. Additionally, the court directed the Rajasthan government to deposit Rs 10 lakh with the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA) for failing to follow proper legal procedures in BDS admissions during the 2016–17 academic year.

The Supreme Court’s stern directive followed its discovery of serious irregularities in the admission process. The Rajasthan government, without proper authorisation, had lowered the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) qualifying percentile by 10%, and then by an additional 5%, below the prescribed minimum for BDS aspirants.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which will conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG), has urged the aspirants to ensure that their Aadhaar card, UDID card (for persons with disabilities), and category certificates (EWS/ SC/ ST/ OBC-NCL) are updated and valid before filling out the NEET UG 2026 application form. This step seeks to avoid discrepancies or rejection at later stages of the admission process, NTA said.

The NTA advisory released on January 5, also highlights that the Aadhaar card should have accurate details, including the candidate’s name, date of birth (as per Class 10 certificate), photograph, address, gender and biometric information.

Similarly, candidates with disabilities must ensure their certificates are valid, updated and renewed as required.

NMC Chairman Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth said that the regulation of allowing only non-profit companies to set up medical colleges has been shelved to enable both non-profit as well as for-profit companies to run them.

Addressing a press conference at Dr NTR University of Health Sciences in Vijayawada, the National Medical Commission (NMC) chairman noted that a recent board decision has deleted the condition of allowing only Section 8 companies, non-profit ones, and thereby allowing both non-profit and for-profit companies

—NCERT, with support from NTA, CBSE, and other boards, to be the nodal agency to “ensure syllabus alignment between school curricula and competitive exam requirements” to reduce disparities and improve student preparedness.

–NTA to furnish candidate-level, question-wise responses, shift-wise papers and final answer keys from the last three years, along with candidate registration details to IIT Kanpur to assess the “validity, reliability, and discriminatory power of competitive examinations”.

–A psychometric expert to analyse the difficulty level of questions and their ability to differentiate students across JEE Main, NEET, CUET and JEE Advanced.

–The Ministry’s Department of School Education and Literacy and CBSE may conduct surveys to assess students’ level of engagement with coaching classes.

–CBSE to devise a framework for remedial and mentoring classes within schools to reduce reliance on private coaching.

–To examine limiting coaching classes to a maximum of “2-3 hours per day” due to concerns over student well-being and excessive academic load.

–To regulate coaching centres, particularly advertising practices, and mandate full disclosure of teaching methods, faculty qualifications and actual success rates, including students’ school backgrounds.

–To increase the frequency of entrance exams and give greater weightage to board exam results in college admissions.

–Sub-committees to examine syllabus comparisons across boards and recommend whether competitive exams can be conducted in Grade 11, and determine optimal frequency and timing of entrance exams.

–NCERT and CBSE to design a comprehensive career guidance programme ensuring “appropriate career counselling starting from Class 8”.

–School curricula to be redesigned to align with competitive exams, integrating higher-order thinking, problem-solving and time-bound assessments.

–NCERT, CBSE, and teacher training institutions to enhance teacher competency through training focused on “competency-based education and assessment”.

–A hybrid assessment model combining MCQs with subjective questions proposed to reduce rote learning.

–A “Professor of Practice” model has been proposed, with domain experts from academia and industry acting as visiting faculty.

–To develop a national aptitude and career guidance portal with continuous, personalised advice and mandatory counselling for students and parents.

The right to pursue higher or professional education, even though not a fundamental right under the Constitution, cannot be permitted to be curtailed lightly, and there is an affirmative obligation on the State to ensure it, the Delhi High Court has said.

The observation was made by Justice Jasmeet Singh while dealing with a student whose admission to a medical college was cancelled over allegations of being involved in irregularities in NEET-UG 2024.

In view of the stand taken by the CBI, the court held that the petitioner was not an accused but was only a witness in the criminal case being probed by the agency in relation to the alleged irregularities, and therefore there could not be any prima facie findings of him committing any malpractice.

Aspirants must be mindful of common pitfalls during preparation. Avoid neglecting NCERT, especially for Biology and Inorganic Chemistry, as these form the backbone of the exam. Do not fall into the trap of over-solving questions without proper revision or attempting mock tests without analysing mistakes.

Introducing new topics in the final month should also be avoided, as it only adds stress. Instead, follow a structured month-wise preparation framework — begin with complete NCERT-based syllabus coverage, prioritise concept clarity over speed, and engage in intensive question practice coupled with error analysis.

As the exam approaches, shift focus to full syllabus revision, attempt 2–3 mock tests per week, and dedicate time to correcting weak areas through rapid revision.

Silly mistakes can prove costly in exams, so NEET UG aspirants must exercise extra caution while solving questions.

–Each question and option should be read carefully without confusing similar ones with those attempted earlier.

–Pay special attention to words like Correct/Incorrect/Not correct/Not incorrect by marking or underlining them.

— Calculations should be done with a calm mind, using rough space wisely, and approximate calculations can be applied when options are far apart.

— To save time, adopt option elimination or the U&D method, and attempt tough or lengthy questions in the second round.

— At this stage, revision is crucial—revisit key points from each subject, reinforce what has been studied seriously, and avoid trying too many new things.

— Focus on strengthening existing knowledge rather than chasing cut-off marks, as unnecessary speculation only adds stress.

— Align your biological clock with exam timings by studying at a table and chair during the same slots, ensuring your body and mind are in sync on the exam day.

–Finally, secure 6–7 hours of sound sleep the night before, as proper rest is essential for a healthy, alert, and confident performance

For this medical student, the year after Class 12 was spent chasing marginal gains — shaving minutes off mock tests, revisiting weak Physics chapters, and learning when to leave a question unanswered.

With the NEET UG 2026 examination expected in May, more than 20 lakh candidates are likely to compete for roughly 1.1 lakh MBBS seats across government and private medical colleges, making preparation as much a test of strategy and stamina as of academic ability.

One such student is a 19-year-old MBBS undergraduate from Gujarat, currently studying at Sri MP Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar, who cleared NEET after taking a drop year following Class 12.

Vrishti Chandra, a native of Vadodara, secured a rank and score high enough to gain admission to a government medical college in her first attempt after the drop year. Speaking to indianexpress.com, she reflected on her preparation process, the challenges she faced, and the key lessons from her NEET UG journey.

In Physics, many questions come from areas like motion, force and energy, gravitation, properties of matter, heat and thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, optics, modern physics, and electronics. These chapters demand quick recall of formulas, conditions, and sign conventions.

In Chemistry, formulas, rules, and mnemonics are equally important across all three branches. In Physical Chemistry, topics such as mole concept, solutions, thermodynamics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, and chemical kinetics depend heavily on accurate formula recall.

In Biology, success largely depends on how well a student remembers NCERT statements, definitions, rules, cycles, and sequences. Topics like cell division, plant physiology, human physiology, genetics, molecular biology, biotechnology, ecology, and evolution contain many lists and pathways that are difficult to recall under pressure.

In 2025, NEET UG was held on May 4. In 2024 and 2023, NEET UG was conducted on May 5 and May 7, respectively.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is yet to announce an update on when the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) notification for 2026 exam will start. The