The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially launched the fee refund portal for NEET UG 2026 candidates starting May 21. Students who registered for the now-cancelled May 3 examination can now begin the refund process at neet.nta.nic.in.
Why was the exam cancelled?
The original NEET UG 2026 exam was scrapped after a paper leak controversy came to light. A fresh re-examination has since been scheduled for June 21, 2026, and the NTA has confirmed that candidates will not have to pay any additional fee for it.
How will the refund work?
The refund process is fully automated — no manual application is needed. The fee will be credited directly to the original payment source, whether that’s a bank account, debit/credit card, UPI handle, or digital wallet.
One exception: students who paid through a cyber cafe or someone else’s account will need to personally coordinate with that individual to collect their refund. The NTA has advised such students to wait for further official communication for clarity on their specific case.
Follow TJP Whatsapp ChannelHow much will you get back?
The refund amount depends on the category under which you applied:
- General category — ₹1,700
- OBC / EWS — ₹1,600
- SC / ST / PwD — ₹1,000
What about the re-exam on June 21?
The re-exam will be held from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM in pen-and-paper mode. A few important points to note:
- The language medium chosen during the original application is final and cannot be changed.
- Candidates can update their preferred exam city until 11:50 PM on May 21.
- Those with complaints related to their previous exam centre should email supporting documents to neetug2026@nta.ac.in.
Security measures ahead of the re-exam
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level meeting with central security and intelligence agencies to ensure foolproof arrangements for the upcoming re-exam. Officials discussed identifying potential vulnerabilities in advance and putting strict preventive measures in place.
Separately, a meeting was held with representatives from Meta, Google, and Telegram to tackle the spread of exam-related misinformation online. Intelligence inputs reportedly flagged suspicious Telegram channels linked to a limited set of phone numbers, suggesting coordinated misinformation activity.
Important reminder for candidates
Do not enter your bank details on any unofficial website or link. Only trust updates from the official NTA portal and your registered email ID. Always verify the refund portal link before submitting any personal or financial information.
The NTA has also confirmed that the June 21 exam date is fixed and will not be postponed, regardless of clashes with other entrance exams.
Source: NTA official notice
