In a bid to ensure smooth and expedited transportation of papers, the Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted the Re-NEET UG 2026 question papers to 18 locations
across the country under tight security. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny around the country's largest medical entrance examination following an alleged leak that impacted lakhs. The air transport of the question paper is one of the government’s newly introduced security measures to ensure ‘foolproofness’ of Re-NEET scheduled for June 21, 2026. Besides this, the concerned authorities are implementing a 4-layer CCTV with AI surveillance, biometric and facial recognition before entry, multiple layers of frisking, and multi-level oversight with direct monitoring from the Prime Minister’s Office. Intended to ensure the seamless conduct of the re-examination, the strengthened security protocols have attracted criticism from opposition leaders, who are labelling them as the government's failure. On June 16, a former BJP leader took a jibe at the Centre's handling of security arrangements. Listing the measures adopted by the Centre, he said, “These are not arrangements to buy high-level, classified, military-grade software. These are the arrangements made by the Ministry of Education for the NEET retest scheduled for June 21, 2026.” He argued that enhanced scrutiny before entry, extended frisking, and an increase in the overall exam time from 180 minutes to 195 minutes may end up increasing students' pressure. "While the government has taken measures to contain leaks, they have forgotten the additional burden they have imposed on young students," the tweet added. As criticism from various LoPs pours in, the Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, maintains that there's nothing wrong or novel in introducing advanced security measures. "See, in advanced countries, even internet and airspace are shut down to ensure zero disruption. In today’s era, where technology is ubiquitous, hurdles can come from anywhere. Therefore, we roped in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to prevent mishaps; there is nothing wrong in that." "Earlier, postal departments were used for courier facilities. But due to time constraints, we’ll be airlifting the question papers this time, as students' interests are above everything," he said in an exclusive interview with Times Now Navbharat.
