A NEET aspirant from Nagpur and his parents were left stunned after discovering that the examination centre allotted to him for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination was not among the three cities he had selected as preferences, but in Abu Dhabi, UAE, around 2,461 kilometres away, just a day before the test scheduled for June 21.The student had originally been allotted a centre at Saraswati Vidyalaya in Nagpur for the first NEET examination. After the test was rescheduled in the wake of the paper leak controversy, he downloaded his revised admit card and found that his examination centre had been changed to Abu Dhabi Indian School in the UAE.Family cites inability to travel abroadAccording to the family, the student had selected Nagpur as his first preference while filling out the application form, followed by Wardha and Bhandara.Speaking to ANI, the student's father, Mohammad Talib, said the family was shocked when they downloaded the admit card at around 4 pm and discovered that the examination centre allotted to his son was a school in Abu Dhabi. He said they had not selected any overseas location while filling out the application form and immediately contacted the NTA helpline, where they were advised to send an email regarding the issue. According to Talib, after sending the email, the family received a call informing them that a fresh admit card would be issued by 4 pm on Saturday. He said the student had opted for three districts while applying and that the family now wanted Nagpur to be allotted as the examination centre because the candidate was deeply distressed by the development. Talib said there was no time left to travel to another district, adding that his son cried extensively after learning about the centre allotment and initially did not want to appear for the examination. He said the student's mother tried to persuade him to take the test and that he would appear only if convinced. Talib also pointed out that his son does not possess a passport, making travel to Abu Dhabi impossible.Former minister criticises allotment errorFormer Maharashtra Education Minister Anees Ahmed described the incident as a serious lapse on the part of the testing agency and urged the NTA to immediately rectify the matter by allotting the candidate a centre in Nagpur or a nearby city.The episode has renewed concerns regarding the functioning of the NTA, which has been facing scrutiny over examination management and administrative issues.NTA deploys extensive security measuresMeanwhile, the NTA has announced comprehensive security and logistical arrangements for the smooth conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.According to the agency, confidential examination materials are being transported under strict security protocols using GPS-enabled vehicles accompanied by police escorts. Examination centres have also been equipped with CCTV surveillance systems, Aadhaar-based biometric authentication and real-time monitoring mechanisms.More than two lakh personnel, including city coordinators, observers, centre superintendents, invigilators, district administration officials and police personnel, have been deployed for the examination process.Over 22 lakh candidates to appearThe NTA has advised candidates to report to their examination centres between 11 am and 1:30 pm. Entry gates will close at 1:30 pm.The examination will be conducted in pen-and-paper mode from 2 pm to 5:15 pm across 551 cities in India and 14 cities overseas. More than 22.79 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the test on June 21.