Bhubaneswar, May 3 -- With over 22.79 lakh aspirants set to appear, the NEET-UG 2026 exam on May 3 is shaping up to be one of the largest entrance tests globally, as the National Testing Agency (NTA) rolls out an extensive, multi-layered plan to ensure a fair, secure and disruption-free examination.

Scheduled between 2 PM and 5 PM in pen-and-paper mode (with extended time for PwD candidates), the exam will be conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 international locations, covering more than 5,432 centres.

The sheer scale has prompted authorities to mobilise over 2 lakh personnel, including city coordinators, observers, invigilators, police forces and district officials.

In the backdrop of past controversies around exam integrity, ...