NEET UG Re-Exam: CRPF, CISF And IAF Deployed To Secure Question Papers After Leak Forced Test Cancellation

New Delhi, June 12: The Ministry of Education has deployed personnel from two central armed police forces, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), to transport question papers for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) re-examination on June 21. State police will assist the CAPF personnel at each centre to ensure safe delivery from airports to banks and then to exam centres.

The re-exam comes after the original May 3 NEET-UG test was cancelled following a leak. Investigators found that the questions had reached some candidates’ phones two days before the exam. This raised serious concerns over security protocols.

Specialised units on guard
CRPF and CISF personnel, who recently handled electronic voting machines and counting centres during assembly elections in states including West Bengal, will safeguard the papers during transit from origin hubs in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to 551 cities where the exams will be held. The two forces are assigning personnel from their specialised units, which usually protect high-risk individuals in India.

Officials said the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET, had written to Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on June 4 requesting CAPF deployment for the transportation of the papers. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh requested CAPF protection for the entire transit period from June 11 to the evening of June 21.

Air transport and multi-layer security
The government has involved the Indian Air Force (IAF) this year to strengthen security. Once the papers leave the origin hubs, state police will escort them and CISF and CRPF personnel will guard them to the airport, on the plane, and until arrival at the destination. CAPF officers will also be on board the IAF aircraft during transportation.

An internal NTA communication shows that state police will provide escort support while CAPF personnel maintain primary security. Nodal officers from both forces have been appointed to coordinate with the Defence Ministry’s Air Division, Hindustan Times reports.

Re-test scale and stakes
The re-exam will be conducted at 5,435 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 centres abroad. The May 3 test had seen 2.27 million candidates appear before it was cancelled on May 12 due to the leak. The June re-exam is crucial to restore credibility in the examination process and prevent future breaches.

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The government’s extensive security measures highlight the seriousness of safeguarding high-stakes examinations in India. While no system is completely leak-proof, the multi-layered approach involving CAPF, state police and the IAF may set a standard for secure handling of national-level assessments.

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