'Accomplishment reflects dedication': Dharmendra Pradhan meets NEET-UG second ranker Panshul Bansal
New Delhi, July 19
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday congratulated Panshul Bansal, who secured the second All India Rank in the NEET-UG 2026 examination, during a meeting with the latter.
Bansal, who is from Haryana, had jointly scored 715 marks along with Punjab's Aryan Gupta, but was placed second based on tie-breaking criteria.
In a post on X, Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated the top scorer, saying: "Met Panshul Bansal from Haryana, who has secured AIR 2 in NEET UG 2026. Congratulated him on this outstanding achievement and wished him success in his career."
"His accomplishment reflects the dedication, perseverance and aspiration of India's young minds. I am confident he will contribute meaningfully to the nation's healthcare ecosystem through excellence and service," the Education Minister added.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results of the national-level medical examination on Thursday.
The NEET-UG re-examination was held on June 21 after the May 3 exam was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak.
Meanwhile, several students who gained top scores in the NEET-UG re-examination had earlier told IANS that the second exam proved to be "more favourable" for them, leading to a "significant improvement" in their marks and All India Ranks.
This year's examination witnessed an extraordinary scale, with nearly 20 lakh candidates appearing at 5,440 centres spread across 551 cities in India and 14 international locations.
Out of these, 11.21 lakh candidates have qualified for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH and allied programmes.
The examination was conducted in 13 languages, reflecting the diversity of participation across the nation.
Women candidates have once again demonstrated remarkable performance, accounting for more than 58 per cent of the qualified pool.
Interestingly, women also recorded a higher qualification rate than men, with 56.8 per cent of those who appeared clearing the test compared to 55.1 per cent of men.
The majority of top performers are aged between 17 and 19 years, underlining the dominance of young aspirants in this competitive exam.
Among the top scorers, 138 candidates achieved above 690 marks out of 720, with 93 per cent of them appearing for NEET for the first time.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I'm happy for the toppers, the real story here is the controversy that led to a re-exam in the first place. Paper leaks have become too common, and it's the honest students who suffer. The NTA needs to fix its systems permanently instead of just conducting retests.
Outstanding to see a student from Haryana shine! My nephew also wrote NEET this year and said the retest was fairer. The numbers speak for themselves—20 lakh candidates, 13 languages, and women outshining men in qualification rates. Truly India's potential on display! 👏
As a medical professional, I'm impressed by the sheer scale of this exam—5,440 centers in 551 cities! But we must ensure these young minds get quality medical education and clinical exposure. Marks alone don't make a good doctor; compassion and practical skills matter too.
Incredible that 93% of top scorers above 690 marks are first-time test takers! Shows how much preparation and dedication these students put in. Panshul's journey must be truly inspiring—from small-town Haryana to AIR 2. More power to his future plans! 🌟
Happy for Panshul but why does every government event need to be turned into a photo-op? The minister meeting one student smells more like PR than genuine support. Focus should be on fixing coaching fee exploitation and reducing pressure on students.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.