Medical
Mar 24, 2026
NEET UG 2026: NTA Extends Registration Deadline to April 10 Following Technical Glitches
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Ananya Iyer
Mar 24, 2026
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially extended the registration deadline for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026. Originally scheduled to conclude on March 25, the new deadline is now set for April 10, 2026, until 11:50 PM. This decision comes in the wake of numerous representations from student unions and individual aspirants who faced significant hurdles with the mandatory Aadhaar-based authentication on the official portal. Many candidates from rural areas reported that the OTP-based verification was failing due to server congestion and mismatched mobile numbers, leading to widespread anxiety among the medical aspirant community.
In an official circular released late last night, the NTA Senior Director of Exams, Dr. Vikram Meena, stated that the agency is committed to ensuring every eligible student has a fair chance to apply. To facilitate this, the NTA has also increased the number of helpdesk centers across various districts where students can walk in for assistance with their digital applications. The correction window, which allows candidates to rectify errors in their uploaded documents and personal details, will now open on April 12 and remain active until April 15, 2026. This extension is expected to benefit over 50,000 students who were stuck in the final payment or verification stages of the process.
Despite the extension of the registration phase, the NTA has clarified that the exam date remains unchanged. NEET UG 2026 will be conducted on May 3, 2026, in a pen-and-paper mode across 550 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. The agency has also introduced a new feature in the application portal this year: an AI-based photo verification tool to prevent impersonation. Students are advised to upload high-quality photographs that meet the specified dimensions to avoid rejection during this final extension period. Experts suggest that candidates should not wait until the last day, as high traffic on April 10 could lead to further technical slowdowns.
Medical education consultants have welcomed this move, noting that the 2026 cycle has seen a record number of applicants, estimated to cross 26 lakh. This surge is attributed to the opening of 45 new government medical colleges across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Students are encouraged to use this extra time to double-check their category certificates, particularly the EWS and OBC-NCL documents, which must be issued after April 1, 2025, to be valid for this session. The NTA has also reminded students that once the April 10 deadline passes, no further extensions will be granted under any circumstances.
In an official circular released late last night, the NTA Senior Director of Exams, Dr. Vikram Meena, stated that the agency is committed to ensuring every eligible student has a fair chance to apply. To facilitate this, the NTA has also increased the number of helpdesk centers across various districts where students can walk in for assistance with their digital applications. The correction window, which allows candidates to rectify errors in their uploaded documents and personal details, will now open on April 12 and remain active until April 15, 2026. This extension is expected to benefit over 50,000 students who were stuck in the final payment or verification stages of the process.
Despite the extension of the registration phase, the NTA has clarified that the exam date remains unchanged. NEET UG 2026 will be conducted on May 3, 2026, in a pen-and-paper mode across 550 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. The agency has also introduced a new feature in the application portal this year: an AI-based photo verification tool to prevent impersonation. Students are advised to upload high-quality photographs that meet the specified dimensions to avoid rejection during this final extension period. Experts suggest that candidates should not wait until the last day, as high traffic on April 10 could lead to further technical slowdowns.
Medical education consultants have welcomed this move, noting that the 2026 cycle has seen a record number of applicants, estimated to cross 26 lakh. This surge is attributed to the opening of 45 new government medical colleges across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Students are encouraged to use this extra time to double-check their category certificates, particularly the EWS and OBC-NCL documents, which must be issued after April 1, 2025, to be valid for this session. The NTA has also reminded students that once the April 10 deadline passes, no further extensions will be granted under any circumstances.