NEET-UG 2026 re-exam: Indian Army helicopter to transport question papers to Tirunelveli amid tight security
Tirunelveli, June 16
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.
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. 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
Reader Comments
As a medical aspirant myself, I appreciate the extra security but this helicopter business seems like overkill. Why not just use armoured vehicles and tight ground security? The money spent on aviation could have gone to improving exam centres instead. Still, glad they're taking it seriously after the leak fiasco.
Living in Tirunelveli, I saw the helicopter yesterday - quite a sight! 😄 But honestly, blocking Telegram until June 22 seems extreme. Many students use it for legitimate study groups and exam prep. The government should catch actual cheaters, not punish everyone. Still, I hope the re-exam goes smoothly for all the hardworking students.
First they mess up the exam, now they're deploying choppers like it's a military operation! 😂 Classic NTA overreaction. Why not just fix the fundamental issues - proper invigilation, CCTV monitoring, and random seating? Instead, they're playing Air Force for publicity. At least the students in Tirunelveli will get a cool story to tell.
This is what happens when you don't fix the system earlier. Now students are stressed, parents are anxious, and the government is scrambling with helicopter logistics. My cousin is appearing for NEET re-exam and she's studied hard despite all this chaos. Kudos to all the dedicated medical aspirants. Hope this re-exam finally restores trust in the process. 🙏
Interesting approach by Indian authorities. Using helicopters for last-mile delivery of question papers is creative but expensive. The Telegram block seems heavy-handed - editing messages isn't just for cheating, it's for correcting typos too. That said
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