NEET 2026 re-exam: Army helicopter to deliver papers amid high security

An Indian Army helicopter held a trial landing in Tirunelveli to test new security for the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam. Following a paper leak, question papers will now be delivered at the last minute. NTA also restricted Telegram to curb cheating.

Enhanced Security for NEET Re-examination

An Indian Army helicopter conducted a trial landing at the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve Ground as part of preparations to transport NEET-UG 2026 question papers under enhanced security arrangements.

The NEET examination held last month was cancelled following allegations of question paper leakage, after which authorities announced that the re-examination would be conducted on June 21. To ensure that the question papers do not leak again and that the examination is conducted fairly, authorities have arranged to deliver the question papers to examination centres at the last minute using helicopters.

Under the proposed plan, the question papers will be flown from Delhi to Madurai by aircraft. From there, they will be transported to the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve Ground in an Indian Army helicopter under the protection of Air Force officials. A mock drill was conducted to test these security arrangements. The sudden sight of a military helicopter flying over Tirunelveli city attracted considerable attention, with residents looking on in surprise.

NTA Cracks Down on Online Cheating

Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) restricted access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending June 22, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. The restriction addresses the specific structural feature through which the platform has been used to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" evidence in respect of national examinations.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued these calibrated directions following recommendations by the NTA and the Department of Higher Education to check organised cheating rackets. According to the NTA, the platform-level restriction comes under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Telegram's Message-Editing Feature Disabled

Alongside the temporary block, MeitY directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India for messages already posted, a rule that remains in force until 30 June 2026. The NTA stated that cheating networks actively used these platform features to defraud candidates appearing for the re-examination scheduled on June 21. "The direction requiring Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India through June 30 addresses a separate but related concern," the NTA stated.

"The directions, issued on recommendations of NTA, are calibrated and bounded in time," the testing agency stated. Reiterating that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will be conducted as scheduled on June 21, the NTA urged candidates to focus on their preparation, avoid unverified information circulating online and rely only on the official NTA website and verified NTA channels for examination-related updates. The agency also advised candidates and parents to report any fraudulent solicitation related to the examination through the National Cyber Crime Helpline or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. (ANI)

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