IMD has issued an orange alert for Vidarbha, including Nagpur, on the same day as the NEET re-test. Authorities have asked centres to prepare shaded waiting areas, drinking water and other basic safeguards.
IMD has issued an orange alert for heatwave conditions across Vidarbha, including Nagpur, on June 21, the same day the NEET re-test is scheduled.
The exam is set to run from 2 pm to 5 pm, putting candidates in the hottest part of the day as temperatures remain elevated across the region. Reporting said heatwave conditions may continue in parts of Vidarbha until at least June 23.
NTA had already instructed exam centres to provide shaded waiting areas and drinking water for candidates and accompanying guardians. Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asked states and Union Territories hosting the re-test to ensure safe drinking water, fans or coolers, clean washrooms, shaded waiting areas, uninterrupted electricity and transport support.
What the alert covers
Reporting cited heatwave conditions likely in Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal, with the orange alert covering the wider Vidarbha region.
The warning matters because it lands on a high-stakes exam day for students who are already dealing with the logistics of the re-test. Nagpur district was reported to have around 12,000 NEET candidates and 30 exam centres in the run-up to the paper.
Exam-day precautions
The centre-level instructions are aimed at reducing exposure before candidates enter the hall and after they leave it. That includes waiting spaces with shade, drinking water, and other basic support measures ordered by the authorities.
The earlier directive from Pradhan also called for transport support, reflecting the need to move candidates and families safely during peak afternoon heat.
Why it matters
The re-test follows last month’s paper leak controversy, which has kept attention on both exam integrity and operational readiness. For candidates and parents, the immediate concern is heat exposure during travel, waiting and entry at centres.
District authorities and the National Testing Agency are now expected to monitor whether the precautions are implemented smoothly and whether the heatwave warning changes before the end of the exam window.
Authorities are also watching for any exam-day disruptions, including health complaints, transport delays or further changes to the alert level.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.