Question papers to be airlifted as govt tightens vigil for June 21 NEET-UG

Patna: Question papers for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled on June 21 will be airlifted to Bihar by special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft as part of an unprecedented security and logistics plan rolled out by the state govt to ensure a malpractice-free examination.

Following a high-level review by CM Samrat Choudhary, chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit and director general of police Vinay Kumar on Tuesday jointly chaired a meeting to finalise arrangements for the examination.

Officials were asked to maintain strict surveillance over social media platforms and take immediate action against anyone spreading rumours, circulating fake question papers or making false claims about paper leaks.

All coaching institutes across the state will undergo mandatory inspections. Institutions that have come under suspicion in the past will remain under 24-hour surveillance based on inputs from intelligence agencies.

According to an official press release, transfers of officers and staff associated with the examination will not take effect before June 22. All deputed personnel have been directed to attend a mandatory mock drill on June 20.

The govt has already announced free travel for examinees in Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) buses. Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel have been directed to intensify patrolling on trains and strengthen security at railway stations to facilitate the movement of candidates.

Officials have also been instructed to arrange shaded waiting areas for guardians beyond a 100-metre radius of examination centres in view of the prevailing heatwave conditions.

A total of 1,56,061 candidates, including 81,165 male and 74,896 female students, will appear at 331 centres across 35 cities in 34 districts. Patna has the highest number of centres at 95 and will host 46,029 candidates.

“The state govt is fully confident and firmly determined to conduct this examination smoothly without any error or failure under all circumstances. To ensure the confidentiality and impregnable security of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, the question papers will be securely airlifted directly to the state hubs by special aircraft of the IAF in coordination with the postal department,” the press release said.