T
he cities of Noida and Greater Noida have been put under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) from August 23 to September 4, 2026, as these twin cities prepare for a hectic two weeks involving a number of religious functions as well as the most-watched medical exam in the country.
The orders from Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate include a prohibition on unauthorised congregations, no loudspeakers, and also certain security procedures around exam centres.
It would take 13 days from the time of imposition of the restrictions till the completion of all three festivals and the examination. While Eid-e-Milad will fall on August 26, Rakshabandhan is to be celebrated on August 28, and the festival of Janmashtami is scheduled on September 4.
It is interesting to note that in the midst of these festivals is the examination of NEET PG 2026, which is supposed to be conducted on August 30. According to the police officials, the move is not meant to react but to be a pre-emptive step to prevent any communal tension and allow smooth conduction of the examination.
Section 163 of the BNSS is the replacement of the former Section 144 of the CrPC, through which the magistrates and police commissioners have the power to impose prohibition and other preventive conditions in the interest of public order.
It has become a practice in Gautam Buddh Nagar to invoke this section before major festivals, especially in such a district where a large religious and economically diverse population lives along with numerous coaching institutes and examination venues.
The order is characterized by a total ban on gatherings of five or more people in public places unless prior permission has been sought from the police. This is to be followed strictly in the entire district during the entire period of order irrespective of the motive behind the gathering.
As far as loudspeakers are concerned, there is a complete ban on the use of loudspeakers from 10 pm to 6 am in the entire district. Even when they are used within the specified time limit, the use of loudspeakers by religious places such as temples, mosques, gurudwaras, and churches shall remain restricted only to their premises. Namaz, puja, processions, or any religious program on public roads or open spaces will need prior permission.
The order has also made provisions against the conduct of any new forms of religious practice in areas where there had been none, effectively making the religious identity of public places frozen for the period of restrictions.
It is forbidden to perform actions that may insult religious feelings or insult religious literature, as well as to exhibit flags, posters, and banners in religious sites. As far as the security part is concerned, carrying and exhibiting weapons, including lathis, swords, knives, tridents and all kinds of blunt or sharp items able to cause damage to people, is forbidden throughout the whole district during this time.
In addition to the general provisions for maintaining public order, the police has introduced special rules that are related directly to the NEET PG 2026 examination to be held on August 30. In the area of 200 meters around each examination center, gatherings of five or more persons will not be allowed.
Moreover, the provision bans the operation of photo-station and print services in the same area of 200 meters both in the day preceding the exam and the exam day itself—the measure is intended to prevent leaks of papers in the final hours before the exam.
These specific provisions related to exam security take place in the context of national problems with NEET this year. The 2026 NEET-UG exam held in May for admission to undergraduate medical colleges has been affected by the scandal due to the leak of guess papers, which has been found to have significant overlaps with the real exam paper.
As a result, the National Testing Agency had to cancel the exam held on May 3. Further, the probe was taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation; arrests were made in Jaipur, Latur, and Nashik; and the consequences forced the Union education ministry to announce the transition to the computer-based tests for NEET starting from 2027.
Considering all of this, it is no wonder that authorities want to take no risks with NEET PG only in three months later, and the tightening of Noida's perimeter around test centers reflects nationwide anxiety about exams this year.
It has been seen before in Gautam Buddh Nagar, as the area was placed under a Section 163 order covering Bakrid through late May. There have been similar orders for major festivals in the district in previous years too, including during the pandemic when restrictions on gatherings could serve both public health and public order concerns. The novelty of the present order comes from the clear and direct connection to an exam, indicating that the district administration now takes exam-day safety just as seriously as festival-day public order, rather than as a separate matter altogether.
As far as the residents are concerned, the effects are restricted largely to any form of public event; personal celebration, family get-togethers, and religious ceremonies on one's own premises remain untouched by this order. This order is meant to limit public congregation, loudspeakers after allowed hours, and the particular risks involved with a testing center.
