Top News

India’s medical entrance landscape continues to show a sharp regional pattern, with a large chunk of NEET (UG) 2026 aspirants coming from just a handful of states. According to the National Testing Agency (NTA) state-wise data, nearly 9.4 lakh candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Bihar together made up about 41.4% of the total 22.7 lakh registered candidates. 

Uttar Pradesh stood at the top with around 3.6 lakh aspirants, maintaining its position as the biggest contributor. It was followed by Maharashtra with 2.2 lakh candidates, Rajasthan with 2 lakhs, and Bihar contributing approximately 1.5 lakh aspirants. This clustering highlights how a few large states continue to dominate national-level competitive exams. 

Top Nine States Contribute Nearly Three-Fourths of Total Candidates 

The dominance does not stop at the top four. When expanded further, nine major states including Karnataka (1.5 lakh), Tamil Nadu (1.4 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (1.2 lakh), Kerala (1.1 lakh), and West Bengal (1 lakh) collectively account for more than 17 lakh candidates. 

This means nearly three-fourths of all NEET (UG) aspirants are concentrated in a limited set of states, pointing to a significant imbalance in geographical participation. While the overall exam pool continues to grow, the distribution remains heavily skewed toward larger and more populous regions. 

Attendance Remains Strong Despite Regional Gaps 

Despite uneven distribution, attendance levels across the country remained impressively high. Out of 22.7 lakh registered candidates, more than 22 lakhs appeared for the examination, resulting in a national attendance rate of 96.9%. Around 69,976 candidates, or 3%, did not appear for their allotted exam centres. 

State-wise attendance trends also reflected consistency. Gujarat recorded the highest attendance at 98.1%, followed closely by Puducherry at 98% and Rajasthan at 97.9%. Among major states, Uttar Pradesh (97.5%) and Maharashtra (97.4%) also showed strong participation. On the lower end, Kerala recorded 94.4%, Assam 95.1%, and Tamil Nadu 95.9%, though still maintaining relatively high turnout. 

Uneven Spread Highlights Structural Education Divide 

While participation is strong overall, the data clearly points to uneven access and aspiration distribution across India. Smaller states and Union Territories reported fewer than 5,000 candidates each, reinforcing the concentration of medical aspirants in a few educational hubs.