The education ministry has taken the help of personnel from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to transport the question papers of the June 21 National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG), according to an order seen by HT.
Armed personnel of the CAPF will be assisted by state police forces at each station when transporting papers from airports to banks and then to examination centres.
Personnel of the two forces, who secured electronic voting machines (EVMs) and counting centers during the recently held Assembly elections in various states including West Bengal, will guard the papers during their journey from the original centers in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to the 551 central cities where the exams will be conducted. The two forces are providing personnel from their specialized units, which work to secure individuals in India who face increasing threats to their lives.
Read also: Paper Leak System: AAP’s Sanjay Singh intensifies attack on Center and UP government
NEET UG re-test is being conducted after the original exam was canceled on May 3 after it was confirmed that the question paper was compromised. While the question papers were leaked from the source by the professors who were preparing the paper, the leak occurred during the 2024 exam during transportation from a bank in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand to the examination center of a school.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which is conducting the test, on June 4 wrote to Union Home Minister Govind Mohan asking CAPF employees to take the papers to various bank branches, officials familiar with the matter said.
NTA Director General (DG) Abhishek Singh sought CAPF protection during the entire transfer process from June 11 till the evening of exams on June 21.
For security reasons this year, the government has already taken help of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Once the papers leave the source, they will be escorted by the state police and guarded by CISF and CRPF personnel until the airport, on board and until the destination.
According to an internal NTA communication during a meeting with the Defense Minister, it was decided to seek support from the state police for escort and CAPF personnel for security. The CAPF officers, for security reasons, will be on board the IAF aircraft during the transfer, according to the NTA internal communication.
Following the request of the NTA Chairman, the matter was examined by the Home Ministry and an order was issued to deploy the CAPF force. Two CAPFs have been directed to nominate nodal officers for overall coordination at different places.
The order said, “The matter has been considered in this Ministry and, accordingly, the CRPF/CRPF is requested to take the following measures: Provision of Security Escorts: In coordination with NTA, deploy requisite security personnel to provide second layer of security during transportation and handling of classified NEET screening materials at designated hubs, airports, heliports and other vital locations. To ensure two-layer security in aircraft/helicopter movements of Origin Hubs, Leg-1 Hubs and Leg-2 Hubs.” and Leg-3 axes.
The US Department of Defense also directed the appointment of nodal officers who will coordinate with the Air Department of the Ministry of Defense.
The re-test is being conducted at 5,435 centers in 551 cities in India and 14 centers abroad.
The NTA canceled the NEET-UG 2026 exam on May 12, nine days after around 2.27 million candidates appeared for the exam. Investigators later found that questions arrived on some candidates’ phones as early as May 1, two days before the test.
