The Centre is exploring the use of Indian Air Force aircraft to transport NEET-UG papers for the June 21 retest to ensure tighter security.
A meeting chaired by Rajnath Singh and attended by Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the entire examination process, including paper printing, transport and security.
The NEET-UG exam was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak, with the Central Bureau of Investigation arresting 13 accused so far in the case.
Govt Considers Using IAF Aircraft to Transport NEET-UG Papers for Retest
High-level meeting chaired by Rajnath Singh reviews security arrangements ahead of June 21 re-exam after paper leak row
Summary
The government is exploring the possibility of using the Indian Air Force (IAF) for transportation of NEET-UG papers to ensure foolproof conduct of the retest on June 21, official sources said on Thursday.
The option was explored at a high-level meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia here.
The ministers and senior officials discussed whether IAF aircraft could be used for the transportation of the NEET-UG test papers, the sources said.
However, they stated that no final decision has yet been made and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be asked to make a final choice.
According to the sources, the prime minister has reportedly been keeping a close eye on the preparations for the retest on June 21 and is kept informed about every aspect of the testing procedure.
The entire test process was covered in Thursday's meeting, including transportation and security arrangements, teacher-set question papers and paper printing.
National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh and senior officials from the Education Ministry, among others, attended the meeting.
On May 3, 551 Indian cities and 14 locations abroad hosted the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG. The NTA administered the test, with around 23 lakh candidates registered.
Four days after the exam, on the evening of May 7, information about alleged malpractices was obtained, according to the NTA.
The inputs were shared with the central agencies for "independent verification and necessary action" the next morning, according to the NTA.
Due to claims of a paper leak, the NTA cancelled NEET-UG on May 12. June 21 has been set aside for a re-examination.
Based on a formal complaint from the Ministry of Education's Department of Higher Education, the CBI opened a case.
To investigate the crime, the central probe agency established special teams, carried out nationwide searches, and quickly made arrests. In this case, 13 suspects from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar have been taken into custody thus far.
The investigation conducted so far has brought out the actual source of the leakage of the question papers, the CBI had said earlier.
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