The Indian Air Force (IAF) has begun the task of transporting NEET-UG 2026 question papers across the country ahead of the retake of the medical entrance examination.
According to ANI, the IAF has flown more than 200 sorties over the past four days as part of an attempt to deliver question papers to exam centres. The mission, which began on June 13, is expected to be completed by Wednesday.
The re-examination is scheduled for June 21.
The move comes after the original NEET-UG 2026 exam was canceled following allegations of question paper leakage.
Also Read: Indian Air Force transfers NEET papers as NTA tightens guard for retest on June 21
Why is the Islamic Action Front involved?
The government has brought in the Air Force to ensure safe and timely transmission of question papers while minimizing the risk of tampering or leakage.
Transport aircraft and helicopters were used to collect exam papers from two distribution centers and deliver them to more than 20 locations. Officials did not reveal details of the operations for security reasons.
This decision represents one of the most comprehensive security exercises conducted for the national exam in recent years.
An NTA official said the use of Air Force resources was aimed at speeding up the delivery and enhancing security arrangements for the re-examination.
Security tightened after allegations of paper leak
The new arrangements come in the wake of widespread controversy over the NEET-UG 2026 exam. The exam was canceled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 12 after investigations revealed that the question paper had been hacked. The exam, which was held on May 3, was attended by about 2.27 million candidates in 551 cities. According to investigators, parts of the question paper were allegedly circulated before the test was conducted.
The controversy marked the second year in a row that the country’s largest medical entrance exam has faced allegations of irregularities. Following this development, the NTA referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and announced re-examination on June 21 of over 2.2 million candidates.
How are papers transferred?
The planned routes include transporting question papers from Delhi to Madurai by flight. The papers are expected to be transported from Madurai to the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve Area using an Indian Army helicopter under security supervision.
A mock training exercise was conducted before the operation to test the transportation arrangements. An Army helicopter made a test landing at the Armed Reserve Ground in Tirunelveli as part of preparations for safe movement of screening materials.
Also Read: Army helicopter to transport NEET repeat question papers to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu
NTA tightens digital surveillance
Besides physical security measures, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has imposed restrictions on access to Telegram in India for a limited period ending on June 22.
Also Read: Access to Telegram restricted in India till June 22 to prevent NEET re-exam fraud
According to ANI, the move is aimed at preventing the circulation of fabricated claims and misleading content related to alleged question paper leaks during and immediately after the re-examination.
Despite all these measures, new allegations have emerged on social media claiming that the question paper for the NEET-UG re-exam has also been leaked. However, there is currently no evidence to prove these claims. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has denied the allegations, stating that no verified case of paper leakage related to the June 21 retest has been discovered.
Also Read: Re-NEET paper leaked? NTA responds to viral claims days before the exam
