Lakhs of students across the country appeared for the NEET UG 2026 exam, but one candidate Uttar Pradesh got everyone’s attention. Seventy-one-year-old Ashok Bihar appeared. Medical Entrance ExaminationShowing that age is not always a barrier to education.Ashok Bihar, a resident of Chandranagar, Alambagh, had appeared for the NEET UG examination on May 3. Dressed in a kurta pajama, holding a water bottle and a question paper, she attracted attention as she walked out of the exam center after completing the paper.Bihar worked as the head of marketing at a fertilizer company before taking premature retirement in 2000, reports Navbharat Times. He is also an alumnus of Lucknow University and holds LLB and MBA degrees.Also read: NEET UG 2026: Secured Score, Expected Cutoff and Marks Required for MBBS AdmissionDespite having previously studied law and business, Bihar decided to pursue his long-held dream of becoming a doctor. His relationship with the medical field is also personal. His wife Dr. Manjul Behar is a doctor and currently resides in America. According to reports, several members of his family are associated with the medical profession.Talking to the media, Ashok Behar said that there is no age limit for preparing for an exam like NEET. He said that people should not give up their dreams because of age or circumstances. Also read: Not satisfied with NEET UG 2026 Answer Key? Here’s how the object window works.
This is not the first time an old candidate has appeared for NEET. In 2020, 64-year-old Jai Kishore from Sambalpur, Odisha appeared for NEET after retiring from Pradhan Bank and later enrolled in MBBS at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.Similar cases have previously come from Delhi, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where candidates of Umar appeared for the exam.
