Neet-UG re-test gets military-grade security as IAF flies over 200 sorties to transport question papers

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been deployed to transport question papers for the upcoming Neet-UG 2026 re-examination. Operating under strict confidentiality, the IAF has flown more than 200 sorties over the last four days using a combination of heavy transport aircraft and tactical helicopters.

The massive aerial operation, which began on June 13, is designed to eliminate any vulnerabilities in the transit "chain of custody"—the exact window where previous paper leaks have historically occurred. The mission is expected to conclude on Wednesday night ahead of the nationwide re-test scheduled for June 21.

Restoring trust through absolute secrecy

The extreme security response follows the cancellation of the original May 3 exam, which affected over 22 lakh candidates and led to nationwide student protests.

Treating the confidential examination materials with the same urgency as sensitive defence assets, the central government bypassed traditional courier and postal transit lines entirely.

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Military transport aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster, initially moved the question papers from two centralised distribution hubs to 18 regional hubs across the country, spanning locations from Patna in the north to Madurai in the south.

The last-mile delivery

To reach remote or highly vulnerable sectors, the IAF deployed its workhorse Mi-17 helicopters for onward regional transit.

Joint security teams conducted dry runs at select locations across southern India to validate timing and safety parameters.

In Tamil Nadu, an army helicopter conducted a trial landing at the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve Ground. Under the protection of Air Force officials, the materials were immediately handed over to local armed police units.

Paramilitary forces, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), have taken over the physical guarding of the secure holding vaults.

Also read | What the Neet, CUET and CBSE crises reveal about India’s pressure-cooker education system

A multi-layered lockdown

The deployment of military hardware is just one piece of a broader, ironclad security protocol established by the Ministry of Education and the National Testing Agency (NTA) to prevent insider collusion. Additional measures for the June 21 re-test include total seclusion of paper setters.

The teachers and experts responsible for writing the new test variants were placed into strict isolation zones with all communication devices confiscated, preventing any pre-exam digital leaks.

Furthermore, the central government implemented a temporary, targeted restriction on the Telegram messaging platform in India through June 22. This restriction aims to disrupt digital channels previously used by bad actors to distribute fabricated or leaked answer keys immediately before and after national exams.

Nearly five lakh security and invigilation personnel will be active on Sunday to manage exam centers, using real-time tracking, AI-enabled CCTV surveillance, and facial verification.