"Hopeful that government learned a lesson": DK Shivakumar ahead of re-NEET, extends wishes to candidates

Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said, Almost 22 lakh students are appearing for the NEET exam today...I am hopeful that the government has learned a lesson. There should be transparency and I wish the students the best of luck."

Ahead of NEET-UG re-examination, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday extended best wishes to the candidates, stating that he hoped that the Central government had learned its "lesson" after the alleged paper leak. Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said, "Almost 22 lakh students are appearing for the NEET exam today...I am hopeful that the government has learned a lesson. There should be transparency, and I wish the students the best of luck."

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge also assured that the state government had taken proactive measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the exam, stating that he hopes that the Union Government would similarly execute its duty to maintain the sanctity of the test. "From the state government, we have done all the necessary security arrangements...I am hopeful that the Central Government will also do its duty and ensure that nothing untoward happens," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, nationwide security has been significantly intensified for the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for Sunday from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM.Meanwhile, in the National Capital Region (NCR), security has been significantly heightened outside several centres. Alongside these stringent security measures, the Delhi government has set up special "cooling zones" outside centres to provide relief from the intense summer heat in the national capital.

Special waiting arrangements have been made for the convenience of students appearing for the examination, as well as their parents and family members. In Raichur, examination staff asked students to remove chains and other restricted accessories. Tight security arrangements are made by the police at the examination centres. Authorities are conducting thorough verification and security checks to ensure a fair and smooth examination process.

In Mangalore, preparations are in full swing for the exam at Government Pre-University (PU) College for Women in Balmatta, which is one of the centres. The papers were transported under the supervision of security personnel. The district administration in Uttarakhand's Dehradun has taken stringent measures too. Special restrictions have been imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) within a radius of all examination centres and their surrounding areas, as more than 6,000 candidates are appearing for the Re-Examination 2026 at 16 examination centres across Dehradun.

The NEET-UG reexam will be held today, and extensive security and logistical arrangements have been put in place for the smooth and fair conduct of the examination. More than 22.79 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the examination at 5,440 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 centres abroad.

The exam was rescheduled due to an alleged "paper leak", and CBI, which is probing the case, has made several arrests. CBSE students had also faced problems related to the re-evaluation process. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday expressed his faith in the National Testing Agency, state governments and people in the education sector and conveyed his best wishes to students sitting for the NEET-UG exam, stating that they should appear in the test without worry and fear. (ANI)