Indore student Aradhya Garg has secured All India Rank (AIR) 110 in the NEET-UG 2026 examination, emerging as the city's top performer. In the General category, he secured AIR 85, marking one of the best performances from Madhya Pradesh in this year's national medical entrance examination. The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET-UG 2026 results on Thursday night. (The Times of India)

Around 20 lakh candidates appeared for the examination across the country, with 11.21 lakh candidates qualifying for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other undergraduate medical courses. Madhya Pradesh alone had nearly 1.18 lakh aspirants, who appeared at 283 examination centres spread across 30 districts. (The Times of India)

Consistent Preparation Paid Off

Aradhya's father, Yogi Garg, said his son remained focused despite the uncertainty surrounding the examination after the original NEET-UG 2026 test was cancelled. According to him, Aradhya had scored over 700 marks in the previous attempt and secured 690 marks in the re-examination despite a tougher question paper.

He said Aradhya followed a disciplined routine, attending coaching classes from morning until night and regularly discussing preparation strategies at home. Consistency, regular practice and time management played a crucial role in his success.

Meditation Helped Maintain Focus

Yogi Garg, who is a yoga expert, said meditation formed an important part of Aradhya's preparation. Daily meditation sessions helped improve concentration and manage exam-related stress. Aradhya was also part of his coaching institute's merit batch, where he underwent focused preparation for the competitive examination.

Re-Exam Conducted After Cancellation

The original NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3 was cancelled following the paper leak controversy. The NTA conducted the re-examination on June 21 across 551 cities in India and abroad through 5,440 examination centres in 13 languages. Counselling for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and allied medical courses is expected to begin shortly. (The Times of India)

Online NEET from 2027

Following the paper leak controversy, the Centre has announced that NEET-UG will shift to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format from 2027. While the examination mode will change from offline to online, the syllabus, question pattern and marking scheme will remain unchanged. Candidates will also be provided mock tests and practice sessions before the transition. (Wikipedia)