Key facts
- The Indian Air Force will airlift question papers for the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21.
- Experts involved in exam preparation are in isolation under strict surveillance.
- Military and security personnel will provide logistical support and ensure secure transportation.
- This marks the first time the armed forces are involved in national entrance examination logistics.
- The NEET-UG exam was cancelled on May 12 due to alleged paper leaks.
- Over 2.2 million students will take the re-examination.
- NEET will shift to a computer-based format starting in 2027.
India is implementing unprecedented security measures, including military assistance, for the upcoming NEET-UG re-examination following a series of exam scandals that have sparked widespread protests and put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
The Indian Air Force is set to airlift confidential question paper packets for the June 21 retest to 18 locations across the country. These papers will be transported under security cover to examination centers. Experts involved in setting, moderating, and translating the exam paper have been placed under strict isolation in a secure location to prevent any leaks.
This operation is one of the most extensive security measures ever mounted for a national entrance examination. The NEET-UG examination, conducted on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 due to allegations of a paper leak, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been tasked with the investigation. Multiple agencies have collaborated to design a security framework for the re-examination.
A high-level review meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, senior ministers, and top officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the education ministry, reviewed the entire examination chain. The armed forces' role will be confined to logistical coordination, secure transportation, and emergency contingencies, not examination oversight.
This involvement of the armed forces in logistics for a national entrance examination is a first. The military is typically called upon for disaster relief and humanitarian emergencies. The CBI has so far arrested 13 individuals in connection with the paper leak. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced that NEET will transition to a computer-based format starting in 2027 as part of broader reforms.