A series of technical failures and power outages at a single exam facility in Jaipur's Sitapura locality have disrupted both NEET-PG and AIIMS CRE exams, sparking a debate over infrastructure reliability.

  • Consecutive failures at iON Digital Zone, Sitapura, Jaipur.
  • Thousands of candidates affected across NEET-PG and AIIMS CRE-5 exams.
  • AIIMS mandates TCS to submit system logs and CCTV footage for investigation.

A computer-based examination centre in Jaipur’s Sitapura area has come under intense scrutiny following a string of technical failures that disrupted two high-stakes national examinations within 48 hours. On Monday (August 31, 2026), the AIIMS Common Recruitment Examination-5 (CRE-5) was halted due to power issues, occurring just one day after a similar failure crippled the NEET-PG 2026 exam at the same facility.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) had initially reported that the NEET-PG exam was a success for the vast majority of its 2.65 lakh candidates. However, the narrative shifted for 2,445 candidates at two specific iON Digital Zone centres (41682 and 41683) in Jaipur, where an internal power supply failure forced a cancellation. A re-examination for these candidates is now set for September 5.

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The crisis escalated on Monday when the same venue hosted the AIIMS CRE-5. Despite starting on time at 9 a.m., the examination was marred by recurring power disruptions at centres RJ0101 and RJ0102. To maintain a fair and transparent recruitment process, AIIMS took the decisive step to cancel the test for approximately 2,000 registered candidates, of whom 1,778 were present. A re-exam has been scheduled for September 7, 2026.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that this is not a mere technical glitch but a systemic failure in the vetting process of outsourced examination centres. When a single venue fails twice in two days for two different national-level bodies, it reveals a critical gap in the quality assurance protocols of the service provider, in this case, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

"The reliance on third-party vendors for national exams requires a zero-failure tolerance policy, especially when the careers of thousands of medical professionals are at stake."

In response, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), through its iON Business Unit head Venguswamy Ramaswamy, expressed deep regret for the inconvenience. The company stated that electrical maintenance experts are working urgently to fix the issues and that measures are being implemented to prevent any future recurrence.

AIIMS has taken a stern stance, directing TCS to preserve all system logs, CCTV footage, and control room communications. This comprehensive assessment aims to determine whether the disruption was a result of unforeseen technical failure or gross negligence in infrastructure maintenance.

Exam Name Affected Candidates Re-exam Date Cause of Failure
NEET-PG 2026 2,445 Sept 5, 2026 Internal Power Failure
AIIMS CRE-5 ~1,778 Sept 7, 2026 Technical Disruption
Did You Know?: High-security exam centres are typically required to have 'N+1' redundancy, meaning they must have at least one more backup power source than the maximum required load to ensure zero downtime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which centres in Jaipur were affected?
A: The iON Digital Zone centres in Sitapura, specifically centres 41682, 41683, RJ0101, and RJ0102.

Q2: What is the current status of the affected candidates?
A: NEET-PG candidates will re-test on Sept 5, and AIIMS CRE-5 candidates will re-test on Sept 7.