Ahmedabad: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released fresh guidelines for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled for May 3. In what comes as a relief for candidates, the agency has announced that students will be allowed to take the exam even if biometric verification fails due to technical or other issues.This year, about 22 lakh candidates have registered for NEET, which is conducted for admission to undergraduate medical courses across India. In previous years, biometric verification, used to confirm candidates’ identities, often caused problems due to technical glitches, poor fingerprint quality, or connectivity issues. Several students were denied entry into exam halls, leading to stress and controversy.According to the new guidelines, candidates will not be barred from the exam even if the biometric verification process fails. Instead, they will be required to submit a written undertaking at the examination centre. The format for this declaration will be provided during the exam.The NTA clarified that issues such as machine malfunction, unclear fingerprints or even physical limitations of candidates will be considered valid reasons for biometric failure. After submitting the undertaking, students will be granted entry and allowed to take the exam.Additionally, the agency has instructed authorities not to disturb candidates regarding biometric issues during the exam hours, 2pm to 5pm, to ensure they are under no stress.
