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.
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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.
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.
Father dies in accident while son sits for NEET
A 46-year-old man died after being hit by a train near an examination centre in Bakshi Ka Talab (BKT) on Sunday, while his son was appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
The deceased, Arun Kumar, a resident of Bidhuna in Auraiya district, had come to Lucknow to accompany his son for the medical entrance exam at BKT Inter College.
Police said the incident took place shortly after the examination began.
Kumar had reportedly walked towards railway tracks located a short distance from the centre.
While returning, he was struck by a passing train and died on the spot. Local residents alerted the police after the accident.
A team from the Indaura Bagh police outpost on Sitapur Road reached the spot and began identification. Kumar was identified through an Aadhaar card found in his bag.
His mobile phone was also recovered, and his family members were informed.
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