NEET-UG retest: IAF planes may be used, PM could personally monitor security

The government is considering the use of Indian Air Force aircraft to transport NEET-UG question papers to ensure that the NEET-UG retest on June 21 is conducted in a foolproof manner, official sources said on Thursday. This was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, sources told PTI.

According to the sources, ministers and senior officials discussed whether IAF aircraft could be used to move the NEET-UG test papers. No final decision has been taken so far, and the proposal will be placed before Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his final view.

Given the paper leak that impacted more than 23 lakh students, PM Modi is reportedly personally monitoring preparations for the June 21 retest and is being updated on every detail related to the examination process.

The entire examination process was reviewed in this meeting, right from the setting of question papers by teachers and the printing of papers to transportation and security arrangements. National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh and senior officials from the Education Ministry were also present.

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The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate, or NEET-UG, was held on May 3 across 551 cities in India and at 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the examination, which was conducted by the NTA. According to the agency, information about alleged malpractices was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination was held.

The NTA said the inputs were shared with central agencies the next morning for independent verification and necessary action. On May 12, the agency cancelled NEET-UG amid allegations of a paper leak, and a re-examination was scheduled for June 21.

The CBI later registered a case on the basis of a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. The agency formed special teams to investigate the matter, carried out searches across the country and made arrests. So far, 13 accused have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar. The CBI had said earlier that the investigation so far had traced the actual source of the question paper leak.