NEET UG retest 2026: The government is exploring the possibility of using the Indian Air Force (IAF) for transportation of NEET-UG papers to test centres to ensure foolproof conduct of the retest on June 21, according to a PTI report.
This comes after the May 3 exam was cancelled because of a paper leak.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia reportedly explored the option at a high-level meeting on Thursday.
The meeting focused on the entire examination process, “from the setting of question papers by teachers and printing of papers to transportation and security arrangements.”
National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh and senior officials from the Education Ministry, among others, attended the meeting.
They discussed whether IAF aircraft could be used for transportation of the NEET-UG test papers, PTI reported, citing official sources.
Will IAF transport NEET US re-test papers?
A final decision on whether the Air Force could be used to transport the NEET UG re-test papers is pending as of now, sources told PTI, saying “the option will be placed before Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a final view.”
PM Modi is believed to have been personally monitoring the preparations for the June 21 retest, the sources said. “He is being updated on every detail related to the examination process.”
May 3 NEET UG 2026 paper leak
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted on May 3 across 551 Indian cities and at 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was conducted by the NTA.
According to the NTA, information regarding alleged malpractices was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the exam was held.
The NTA said the inputs were shared with the central agencies the next morning for "independent verification and necessary action".
On May 12, the NTA cancelled NEET-UG amid allegations of paper leak. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.
The CBI registered a case based on a written complaint by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education.
The central probe agency formed special teams to probe the case, conducted searches across the country and made prompt arrests
So far, 13 accused have been arrested in this case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar.
The investigation conducted so far has brought out the actual source of the leakage of the question papers, the CBI had said earlier.
