UP, Maharashtra and Rajasthan Account for Over One-Third of NEET-UG Retest Candidates

As the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) retest approaches on June 21, data released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) reveals a significant concentration of candidates from a handful of states. More than one-third of all registered aspirants for the re-examination come from just three states—Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan—highlighting the geographical concentration of India's medical education aspirations.

NEET-UG, the country's largest entrance examination, serves as the gateway to undergraduate medical and allied health science programmes across India. This year's examination process has been marked by controversy after the original test conducted on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak. The re-examination is expected to witness participation from over 22.7 lakh candidates nationwide.

According to NTA data, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the state with the highest number of registered candidates, accounting for 3,56,291 aspirants or 15.7 per cent of the total candidate pool. Maharashtra follows with 2,22,905 candidates, representing 9.8 per cent of registrations, while Rajasthan has recorded 2,03,470 candidates, contributing 8.9 per cent.

Together, these three states account for 34.4 per cent of all registrations, underscoring their dominant presence in India's medical entrance examination landscape.

The concentration becomes even more pronounced when the next three states are included. Bihar has registered 1,56,061 candidates, followed by Karnataka with 1,45,466 and Tamil Nadu with 1,42,489 aspirants. Collectively, the top six states contribute nearly 54 per cent of all NEET-UG candidates, reflecting the strong demand for medical education opportunities in these regions.

Several other states have also reported substantial participation. Madhya Pradesh recorded 1,18,162 registrations, while Kerala and West Bengal registered 1,13,609 and 1,09,527 candidates respectively. Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi each contributed between 58,000 and 80,000 candidates. Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir also crossed the 56,000-candidate mark.

Regional analysis reveals notable trends in participation patterns. The Hindi-speaking belt, comprising Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, accounts for approximately 44 per cent of all candidates appearing for the examination. Meanwhile, the five southern states—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh—collectively contribute 23.8 per cent of registrations.

At the other end of the spectrum, some Union Territories and smaller regions have recorded relatively low participation numbers. Lakshadweep has the fewest candidates at just 141, followed by Daman and Diu with 666 registrations and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with 882.

Among the northeastern states, Manipur leads with 9,475 candidates. Arunachal Pradesh has registered 4,921 aspirants, followed by Tripura with 4,684, Meghalaya with 4,164 and Nagaland with 4,128 candidates.

The registration figures highlight both the immense scale of NEET-UG and the growing competition for limited medical seats across the country. As lakhs of students prepare to retake the examination, the data also offers insight into regional demand patterns and the continuing aspiration among India's youth to pursue careers in medicine.