NEET UG 2026 Re-Exam: From Secure Paper Transit To Biometric Checks, What Will Happen During NTA's Nationwide Mock Drill Today

New Delhi: A day before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a nationwide mock drill on Saturday to test security preparedness and identify any loopholes before lakhs of candidates appear for the high-stakes medical entrance exam on June 21.

The nationwide rehearsal comes in the wake of the NEET paper leak controversy and is aimed at ensuring smooth conduct of the re-test through a multi-layered security mechanism involving state police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), district administrations and examination authorities.

What Happened During the Mock Drill?

The mock drill served as a full-scale rehearsal of the examination process, with authorities testing every stage of operations-from transportation of question papers to candidate entry and emergency response.

According to officials, the drill included:

• Simulation of secure transportation of question papers from designated strong rooms to examination centres.
• Testing of CCTV surveillance systems and control rooms at centres.
• Verification of biometric attendance and identity checks for candidates.
• Coordination among district administrations, police, CAPF personnel and NTA officials.
• Inspection of examination centres for security vulnerabilities.
• Emergency response drills to handle any untoward incidents or attempts at malpractice.
• Communication checks between examination centres and district control rooms.

Officials also reviewed deployment plans for invigilators, observers and flying squads to ensure quick action in case of irregularities.

Massive Security Deployment Across States

Odisha, one of the states conducting the re-test, has made elaborate arrangements at all 132 examination centres spread across 27 districts.

Odisha ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said question papers have safely reached designated secure locations and are under constant protection by Odisha Police and CAPF personnel.

He said security audits have been completed at every examination centre, senior police officers have been assigned to supervise each venue, and nodal officers have been appointed to monitor the entire process. Kumar added that he is personally overseeing the arrangements to ensure there is no scope for malpractice or sabotage.

15,000 Paramilitary Personnel for Secure Logistics

As part of the enhanced security plan, around 15,000 paramilitary personnel have been deployed nationwide for the secure transportation and protection of question papers.

Authorities have also strengthened surveillance around strong rooms, examination centres and sensitive locations to prevent any attempts at paper leaks or unauthorised access.

Telegram Ban Part of Anti-Leak Measures

The mock drill comes a day after the Delhi High Court upheld the Centre's decision to temporarily block Telegram ahead of the re-examination, observing that the platform's architecture enabled rapid dissemination of unlawful content and that narrower measures had failed to prevent misuse linked to examination fraud.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said it was implementing the court's order while continuing efforts to strengthen India's digital infrastructure and internet resilience.

High-Stakes Re-Test

The June 21 NEET-UG re-examination is being conducted under unprecedented security arrangements following allegations of paper leaks and examination malpractice earlier this year.

With nationwide mock drills completed, authorities say all systems have been tested and security protocols strengthened to ensure the examination is conducted in a fair, transparent and incident-free manner.

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