The Central Government is finalising plans to deploy Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft to transport NEET UG 2026 re-exam question papers from printing facilities to examination centres across India on June 21, in what would be an unprecedented security measure for a civilian entrance examination in India.
A high-level meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, senior IAF officers, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, and PMO officials reviewed the proposal in detail. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring all security arrangements for the re-examination.
Why Is IAF Being Considered?
- The original NEET UG 2026 exam on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of an organised paper leak
- The CBI has so far arrested 13 individuals linked to the leak
- Ground-based transport of question papers is considered a vulnerability in the supply chain
- IAF aircraft would provide military-grade logistics security with minimal exposure to ground-level interception risks
What Has Been Confirmed
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Re-Exam Date | June 21, 2026 |
| IAF Deployment | Under final review — PMO approval awaited |
| PM Monitoring | Personal oversight confirmed |
| CBI Investigation | 13 arrests made, probe ongoing |
| Exam Mode | Offline — Pen and Paper |
IAF officials have stated they are prepared to execute the plan if it receives final government approval. The proposal aims to use multiple layers of supervision during paper movement, printing, and storage — treating question papers as high-security national assets.
