NEET UG exam security: CISF to guard NTA premises, stricter monitoring for confidential areas

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has implemented enhanced security measures at its newly relocated premises in the Government of India Press Building on Minto Road, New Delhi. Effective September 27, 2026, the Home Ministry has approved Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security cover for the NTA’s operations, with 39 personnel deployed to monitor access and ensure security.

This move follows the NEET-UG paper leak earlier this year, which led to nationwide student protests and the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The new security protocols aim to address administrative lapses identified in the wake of the leak, which included a lack of proper checks for subject experts and the absence of a dedicated CCTV monitoring control room at the NTA’s previous office in Okhla.

Enhanced Security and Access Control at New NTA Office

The NTA has moved its confidential and sensitive operations to a new office spanning over 55,000 square feet within the Government of India Press Building on Minto Road. This space, comprising the fifth floor and parts of the fourth and sixth floors, has been allotted to the agency. A senior official stated that confidential and sensitive operations have been shifted to the newly allotted building over the last month.

CISF personnel are now deployed at all entry and exit points to monitor and regulate access into confidential areas. These personnel will conduct frisking using X-ray baggage screening machines and Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs). An official noted that confidential areas have been demarcated in the building where movement and operations will be strictly monitored to ensure a foolproof system is in place.

Addressing Lapses from Previous Paper Leaks

Rolling out these security measures comes after the NEET-UG paper leak earlier this year, which resulted in widespread student protests and the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. A day after Pradhan’s resignation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a high-powered task force, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend reforms for a leakproof examination system. This task force is yet to submit its report.

A CBI chargesheet identified three subject experts as primary sources of the paper leak, noting that there was no checking or frisking of experts during entry or exit from the confidential section at the NTA’s previous office. Experts were able to take briefs from question papers on small chits made from plain sheets provided for rough work and translation. The CBI report also highlighted the absence of a dedicated CCTV live feed monitoring control room in the NTA’s previous office in the national capital.

Technological and Administrative Reforms

The NTA, established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education to conduct fair, transparent, and standardized examinations, is now establishing strict access controls, encryption standards, immutable logging, and tamper-evident storage for all examination-critical workloads. An official stated that arrangements are being made on a mission mode for these implementations.

Action items include running security readiness reviews of all examination-supporting systems before each examination cycle, in coordination with NTA’s technology and test-security functions. This also involves coordinating on the technical security of examination day workflows, including biometric authentication, face-matching, CCTV systems, and live monitoring infrastructure. The NTA is also working on maintaining examination-specific cyber-incident response readiness on examination days, including elevated SOC monitoring and rapid-response capability. To further strengthen information security, the NTA has designated a dedicated Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), with the selection process for the position of general manager and CISO currently at an advanced stage. Independent third-party cyber-security audits by CERT-In and C-DAC empanelled agencies continue to be undertaken.

Following a similar paper leak in 2024, a high-level committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan had made detailed recommendations for enhanced security controls for examination-critical systems. However, after the 2026 paper leak, the Supreme Court reprimanded the NTA, stating that it had not learnt its lessons.

Further reading

• Ladakh MBBS/BDS 2026-27: Apply in 7 days with NEET ranking via NIC portal
• NEET UG 2026 round 3 registration begins for Jharkhand state quota seats, apply by 24 September
• NEET UG application form: eligibility, dates and how to apply Next step
• CUET 2027: Apply for integrated BA/BBA LLB admissions. Dates unannounced
• Ladakh Central Pool MBBS/BDS: Apply by Sep 10 for 2026-27 single merit list Applications open
• NEET UG: complete exam guide

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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