NEET UG Results Out:

 Aryan Gupta, Panshul Bansal Share AIR 1 With 715 Marks As 11.21 Lakh Candidates Qualify

Report By Y-Trendz

New Delhi — The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the much-awaited Re-NEET UG 2026 results on July 16, bringing to a close a turbulent examination cycle that had been marked by a major

paper leak, a court-ordered re-exam, and weeks of public protest over the integrity of the process.

The Numbers

More than 22 lakh candidates had registered for the exam, of which nearly 20 lakh appeared for the re-conducted test held on June 21, 2026, across 5,440 centres spanning 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, in 13 languages. Of those who sat the exam, more than 11.21 lakh candidates have qualified for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH, and allied health science programmes — placing the overall qualification rate at around 56 percent.

Candidates from all 36 states and union territories featured among those who qualified, and the results showed a strong showing by female candidates, who made up more than 58 percent of all those who qualified. Women recorded a qualification rate of roughly 56.8 percent compared to 55.1 percent for men, continuing a multi-year trend of rising female representation in medical education admissions.

The Topper List

This year's exam produced a rare joint topper outcome at the very top of the rankings. Aryan Gupta of Punjab and Panshul Bansal of Haryana both secured All India Rank 1, each scoring 715 out of 720 marks — the highest score recorded in this year's cycle. According to NTA data, 19 candidates in total scored above 700 marks, while 138 candidates secured more than 690 marks out of 720.

Among the top 17 state-level toppers who scored 700 marks or higher, candidates hailed from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, reflecting a geographically wide spread of high performers this year. A further 26 state toppers secured more than 690 marks. Officials also noted that more than 93 percent of the candidates who scored above 690 marks were first-time NEET test-takers, underscoring the competitiveness among fresh aspirants this cycle.

By comparison, last year's AIR 1 in NEET UG 2025 was secured by Mahesh Kumar of Rajasthan with 686 marks — a notably lower topping score attributed to a tougher-than-usual paper that year. NEET UG 2024, by contrast, saw as many as 17 candidates achieve a perfect score of 720 out of 720.

Cutoffs and Scorecards

Along with the results, NTA also released the category-wise qualifying cutoff percentiles, which candidates must meet to be eligible to participate in the counselling process. According to reporting on the results, qualifying cutoffs have risen across categories compared to the previous cycle, reflecting the relatively higher scoring distribution this year.

Candidates can now download their scorecards from the official NTA website, neet.nta.nic.in, using their application number and date of birth. The scorecard includes the candidate's name, application number, roll number, subject-wise marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, total marks out of 720, percentile, All India Rank, category rank, and qualifying status. NTA has urged candidates to immediately flag any discrepancies found on their scorecards directly with the agency.

Background: A Troubled Exam Cycle

This year's results carry particular significance given the circumstances that preceded them. The original NEET UG 2026 examination, held on May 3, was cancelled after a major paper leak came to light, affecting millions of students and triggering widespread public outrage. The controversy fuelled sustained protests, including education reformer Sonam Wangchuk's prolonged hunger strike in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the handling of the leak.

The re-examination, commonly referred to as "Re-NEET," was subsequently conducted on June 21. The provisional answer key was released on June 25, with an objection window that remained open until June 28. The OMR response sheet was released on July 13, followed by a further challenge window that closed on July 15, before the final answer key and results were issued the following day.

What's Next

With the results now declared, attention turns to the counselling process. Candidates are advised to download their scorecards, check their qualifying cutoff and All India Rank, and register for either Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) or state-level counselling as applicable. This will be followed by choice-filling, seat allotment rounds, document verification, and final reporting to allotted colleges within prescribed timelines. NTA has also cautioned candidates against fraudulent calls and websites falsely claiming to guarantee admission or improve scores, urging reliance strictly on official communication channels.