CRPF, CISF personnel to transport NEET-UG re-examination question papers

THe training ministry has roped in personnel from ii exchange armed law forces telephone exchange Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), to transport the question papers for the June 21 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) re-examination, according to an order seen by HT.The CAPF armed personnel will be assisted by state police forces at each centre when transporting the papers from airports to the banks and then to the exam centres.The personnel of the two forces, who secured Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and counting centres during the recently held assembly elections across different states including West Bengal, will guard the papers during their journey from the origin hubs of Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to the 551 hub cities where the exams will be conducted. The two forces are providing personnel from their specialised units, which secure individuals in India facing heightened threats to their lives.Also Read: Paper leak regime: AAP’s Sanjay Singh sharpens attack on centre, UP govtsThe NEET UG re-test is being conducted after the original May 3 examination was cancelled following confirmation that the question paper had been compromised. While the question papers were leaked at the source by professors who were setting the paper, the leak during the 2024 exam had happened during transportation from a bank in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh to an examination centre at a school.Officials aware of the matter said that the National Testing Agency(NTA), which conducts the exam had on June 4 written to union home secretary Govind Mohan requesting for CAPF personnel to transport the papers to the different bank branches.NTA Director General (DG) Abhishek Singh had requested for the CAPF protection during the entire transportation process from June 11 till the evening of the exams on June 21.For security reasons this year, the government has already roped in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Once the papers leave the source, they will be escorted by state police and guarded by CISF and CRPF personnel till the airport, on the plane and right up to the destination.According to an internal communication of NTA during a meeting with the defence minister it was decided to seek support of state police for escort and CAPF personnel for security. The CAPF officers, for security reasons, will also be on board in the IAF plane during the transportation, according to the internal communication of the NTA.Following the NTA chief’s request, the matter was examined by the home ministry and an order has been issued for CAPF deployment. The two CAPFs have been directed to nominate nodal officers for the overall coordination at different places.The order said, “The matter has been considered in this Ministry and, accordingly, CRPF/CISF is requested to undertake the following actions: Provision of Security Escorts: In coordination with NTA, deploy the required security personnel for providing the second layer of security during transportation and handling of NEET confidential examination material at identified hubs, airports, helipads and other critical locations. For ensuring two-layer security in aircraft/helicopter movements from Origin Hubs, Leg-1 Hubs, Leg-2 Hubs and Leg-3 Hubs.”The MHA has also directed that nodal officers be appointed who will coordinate with the defence ministry’s Air Division.The re-test is being conducted at 5,435 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 centres abroad.The NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 on May 12, nine days after around 2.27 million candidates appeared for the examination. Investigators later found that questions had reached the phones of some candidates as early as May 1, two days before the test.