NTA declares NEET UG 2026 results; over 11.21 lakh qualify

.NEW DELHI: NEET-UG 2026 saw a sharp rise in top scores after the paper-leak controversy and nationwide re-test, with Punjab’s Aryan Gupta and Haryana’s Panshul Bansal jointly topping the examination with 715 out of 720. Their score was 29 marks higher than the 686 secured by 2025 topper, when an unusually tough paper ensured that not a single candidate crossed 700.The results also threw up a strong first-attempt and gender story. More than 93% of the 138 candidates scoring above 690 were appearing for NEET for the first time, while 99% were aged 17 to 19. Women accounted for over 58% of the 11.21 lakh candidates who qualified and recorded a higher success rate — 56.8% of women who appeared cleared the test, compared with 55.1% of men.The National Testing Agency declared the results on Thu