New Delhi: The Central Government is exploring the option of deploying the Indian Air Force (IAF) to transport NEET-UG question papers as part of an airtight strategy to ensure the secure conduct of the upcoming retest on June 21, official sources revealed on Thursday.
The high-level logistics proposal was discussed during a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The session was attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, and other senior bureaucrats.
Sources noted that the core discussion revolved around whether IAF aircraft could be strategically utilised to fly out the examination papers. However, a final decision is pending approval, as the proposal will first be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an absolute mandate. The Prime Minister is reportedly overseeing the preparations for the June 21 retest personally and is being briefed on every operational detail of the examination cycle.
Thursday's multi-ministerial meeting meticulously reviewed the entire framework of the national exam-spanning from the initial question paper drafting by teachers and printing logistics to onward transportation and final ground security. National Testing Agency (NTA) director general Abhishek Singh and top bureaucrats from the Ministry of Education were also present.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, was originally held on May 3 across 551 domestic cities and 14 international centres, with nearly 23 lakh aspirants registered. However, the NTA received intelligence regarding widespread malpractices on the evening of May 7, four days after the test concluded. These inputs were handed over to central agencies the following morning for independent verification.
On May 12, the NTA formally cancelled the NEET-UG exam following credible allegations of a question paper leak, setting the rescheduled exam date for June 21.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) subsequently registered a criminal case following a formal complaint by the Ministry of Education's Department of Higher Education. The central agency deployed specialized teams nationwide, executing multiple raids and making swift arrests. So far, 13 individuals have been arrested in connection with the paper leak across major hubs, including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar. The CBI had previously stated that its ongoing investigation has successfully traced the primary source of the question paper leak.
PTI