E-Paper
Age no bar: 70-year-old takes NEET to fulfil mother’s wish
Ashok Bahar, 70, appeared for NEET-UG in a bid to fulfil his late mother’s wish of seeing him become a doctor. He said the aspiration had remained unfulfilled for decades, prompting him to take the test at this stage of life.
In an examination dominated by young aspirants, a 70-year-old candidate from Lucknow stood out for his determination and deeply personal motivation during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2026 held on Sunday.
Ashok Bahar, 70, appeared for NEET-UG in a bid to fulfil his late mother’s wish of seeing him become a doctor. He said the aspiration had remained unfulfilled for decades, prompting him to take the test at this stage of life.
Bahar said that while he has acquired substantial medical knowledge over the years, he lacks the formal qualification required to prescribe medicines. His attempt, he explained, is aimed at formally entering the profession and bridging that gap.
He also credited his family for encouraging the decision, noting that his wife is a gynaecologist and several relatives are in the medical profession. Their support, he said, played a key role in motivating him to pursue the goal despite his age.
Among other candidates, Tanishq Gautam, 21, from Jankipuram, described the paper as satisfactory but admitted that physics posed significant difficulty. “The exam was good, but physics questions were quite troublesome,” he said.
Priya Yadav, 20, another candidate from Lucknow, found the biology section particularly easy but struggled with physics. “Biology was very easy, but physics required more time and effort,” she noted.
Shabana Khatoon, 22, from Ghazipur also reported a similar pattern, stating that both chemistry and biology were the easiest sections for her, while physics was a little tough.
Candidates from neighbouring districts echoed this view. Mukesh Goswami from Gonda and Sandeep Kumar from Sitapur said biology questions were straightforward, but physics turned out to be the most difficult section.
The NEET-UG 2026 was conducted across 76 centres in Lucknow with around 37,176 candidates appearing under strict security protocols. Entry was allowed only after thorough frisking and biometric verification, and the test was held in a single shift from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Authorities maintained a tight vigil at all centres, deploying adequate police personnel and ensuring continuous CCTV surveillance. Electronic devices, including mobile phones, were strictly prohibited within examination premises.
The examination was organised by the National Testing Agency (NTA) across 551 centres, including 60 cities in Uttar Pradesh and 14 international locations. More than 22 lakh candidates had registered for the test this year.
NEET-UG remains the primary gateway for admission to undergraduate medical courses such as MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS and BUMS in institutions across the country.
