NEET UG 2025: Aadhaar verification chaos on NTA portal leaves MBBS aspirants anxious days before exam

MUMBAI: With less than a week to go for the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2025 exam, several candidates are gripped with confusion and anxiety as they have been asked to provide their Aadhar details for verification. NEET UG Admit Card 2025 (OUT) LIVE

While earlier the National Testing Agency (NTA) had allowed candidates to use the identification methods other than Aadhar for NEET registration, several candidates who opted for them said they got a message on Tuesday asking them to switch to Aadhar-based authentication. However, many of the aspirants were unable to get through the verification process despite multiple attempts.

In the text message, candidates were asked to check their email for a link to update the authentication mode to Aadhar, setting an 11:50 pm on Wednesday (April 30) as the deadline to do so. The candidates rushed to the NTA website to complete the formality only to receive a message reading, "Your Aadhar Authentication Form has NOT been submitted. Please try again”.

NEET Aadhaar Verification: Calls to NTA

"I called NTA twice to inform them about the issue. They told us that the process is stuck due to heavy traffic on the portal. I was asked to share a screenshot of the failure message on e-mail, which I did, but to no avail," said an aspirant from Mumbai. "Will I get my hall ticket if it doesn't happen in time?" she wanted to know.

The student eventually managed to get her Aadhar verified by Wednesday noon.

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In the wake of widespread reports of irregularities including paper leak and security breach during last year's NEET, the testing body, in January, had issued a notice urging candidates to use their Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID, the newly introduced Aadhar linked digital record of academic achievements, and Aadhar-based authentication to register for NEET UG 2025. However, the agency later clarified that APAAR integration isn't mandatory.

Indeed, the students were given three modes of verification in the NEET application form - Aadhar, APAAR and any other ID. The Mumbai candidate, and many others, had opted for the latter. "Many students are facing the same issue [of not being able to get their unique ID verified]," she said.