The Union Education Ministry has deployed personnel from two Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) — CRPF and CISF — to provide a second layer of security while transporting question papers for the retake of the National Eligibility Test with Entrance Test for Undergraduates (NEET-UG) on June 21, according to an order seen by HT.
Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which administers the test, on Friday extended its duration by 15 minutes and redesigned the question booklet with two extra rough pages in what it described as “student-friendly” changes.
The developments come days before the exam scheduled to be held on June 21 – 50 days after the test taken by 2.3 million students was earlier canceled when authorities received indications that the question paper had been leaked.
According to officials familiar with the matter, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh wrote to Union Home Minister Govind Mohan on June 4, seeking CAPF protection for moving question papers from June 11 till the evening of the exam on June 21.
Earlier, on June 8, NTA said it had approached the Indian Air Force to speed up the distribution of question papers and reduce the delivery time by half – from 8-10 days to 4-5 days.
As per the MHA order dated June 7, once the papers leave the source, they will be escorted by the state police and guarded by CISF and CRPF personnel throughout their journey – from the origin centers in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to the 551 central cities where the test will be conducted. The two forces provide personnel from their specialized units. However, the number of CAPF personnel participating in the exercise is not yet clear.
An internal NTA communication revealed that during a meeting with the Defense Minister, it was decided to request state police support for escorts and CAPF personnel for security. CAPF officers, for security reasons, will be on board the IAF aircraft during the transfer, according to the communication. Both CRPF and CISF have been directed to nominate nodal officers for overall coordination across various locations.
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 axes 3.”
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also directed the appointment of nodal officers who will coordinate with the Air Section of the Ministry of Defence.
Separately, the NTA on Friday said the duration of the NEET-UG exam has been extended to 195 minutes from the usual 180 minutes, with the test running in pen-and-paper mode now from 2 pm to 5.15 pm.
The revised timing includes mandatory procedures such as attendance recording and other monitoring procedures, allowing candidates to benefit from the full examination time without being interrupted by administrative processes.
“The revised exam window is designed to ensure that candidates are able to take advantage of their intended exam time without feeling that administrative processes are robbing them of their opportunity to attempt the paper,” the agency said.
