Politics
An Indian Army helicopter carried NEET-UG 2026 re-exam question papers to Tirunelveli under tight security.
Published On Tue, 16 Jun 2026
Tara Kulkarni
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An Indian Army helicopter carried out a trial landing at the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve Ground as part of preparations for transporting NEET-UG 2026 question papers under heightened security arrangements. The NEET exam conducted last month was cancelled after allegations of a paper leak, and the re-examination has now been scheduled for June 21. To prevent any further security breaches and ensure a fair process, authorities have planned a last-minute delivery system for question papers using helicopters.
As per the proposed security plan, the papers will first be flown from Delhi to Madurai by aircraft. From there, they will be airlifted by an Indian Army helicopter to the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve Ground under the supervision of Air Force personnel. A mock drill was also conducted to test the full security arrangement. The sudden appearance of a military helicopter over Tirunelveli city drew significant public attention, with residents stopping to watch the exercise.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) had earlier imposed a temporary restriction on Telegram in India until June 22, covering the exam day and its immediate aftermath, citing misuse of the platform in creating false “paper leak” narratives. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), based on recommendations from the NTA and the Department of Higher Education, issued these targeted directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to curb organized cheating networks.
Along with the temporary restriction, MeitY also instructed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30, 2026, as the NTA noted that such tools were being exploited to mislead candidates during the re-exam process. The NTA clarified that these measures are limited in scope and time-bound, aimed specifically at protecting the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
It further urged students to stay focused on preparation, rely only on official updates from the NTA, and avoid misinformation circulating on social media. Candidates and parents were also advised to report any suspicious or fraudulent activity through the National Cyber Crime Helpline or the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
