The National Testing Agency (NTA) has declared the National Eligibility Test with Undergraduate Entrance Test (NEET UG) 2026 results, ending the wait of nearly 20 lakh medical aspirants across the country. Candidates who appeared for the entrance tests can now download their score cards from the official website, neet.nta.nic.in.According to the NTA, more than 11.21 lakh candidates have qualified for admission to undergraduate courses in medicine, dentistry, AYUSH and allied health sciences. The exam was conducted on June 21 in 5,440 centers across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, in 13 languages.The agency said the results were announced in time to ensure that the medical counseling process begins without delay. The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) will conduct counseling for the 15% All India quota seats, while admissions under the state quota will be monitored by the respective state authorities.
Punjab’s Aryan Gupta secures AIR 1
Punjab’s Aryan Gupta emerged as one of the joint top nationals by scoring 715 out of 720 marks, sharing the top rank with Haryana’s Panshul Bansal.Speaking to PTI after the results were declared, Aryan described the achievement as a dream come true after months of relentless preparation.“I have secured AIR 1. I scored 715 out of 720. My father and mother are doctors. I worked hard. I wouldn’t sleep, but now it feels surreal, it feels like a dream. Everyone is happy,” he told PTI.Aryan revealed that his preparation required extraordinary discipline. During the final phase of his studies, he spent 16 to 17 hours every day preparing for the toughest undergraduate medical entrance exam in the country.
A childhood promise inspired his career choice
Beyond academic achievement, Aryan’s ambition to pursue medicine is deeply personal. He said he wants to be an oncologist, a decision marked by a tragedy he experienced as a child.“My grandmother had died of cancer. I was in third grade then and I had got engaged,” he said in an interaction with PTI, adding that there is still “a lot to do in life”.
Message for future NEET aspirants
Aryan also had a message for students preparing for future editions of NEET and those who failed to qualify this year.He urged the aspirants not to lose hope and remain committed to their goals, saying that constant work pays off. According to him, success does not come overnight, but sincere efforts never go unnoticed. He encouraged the students to continue working with dedication, expressing his belief that if one remains persistent, the universe eventually recognizes honest effort and rewards perseverance.His advice comes as thousands of candidates start preparing for the next NEET cycle, while others look to learn from this year’s experience.
NEET UG 2026 in numbers
This year’s results reflect the highly competitive nature of the exam.
- 19 candidates scored above 700 points.
- 138 candidates scored more than 690 points.
- 1,492 candidates scored 650 points or more.
- 10,160 candidates scored 600 points or more.
- 90,780 candidates crossed the 500 threshold.
The NTA also noted that more than 93 percent of the top 138 candidates were first-time test takers, while nearly 99 percent were in the 17-19 age group. More than 58 percent of qualified candidates are women.
Counseling process will start soon
With the results now available, the admission process will move to the counseling stage. MCC will conduct counseling for all India quota seats while individual states will release their own counseling schedules for state quota admissions.The NTA has advised candidates to rely only on official websites for information related to counseling and has warned them against fraudulent calls, messages or websites promising admissions, seat blocking or score enhancement in exchange for money.