NEET-UG 2026: Over 6,000 invigilators to ensure ‘fair and safe’ retest on June 21, says NTA

The inspection is being conducted at the examination center during a state-wide mock exercise in Patna on Saturday ahead of the re-examination of NEET-UG 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

Amid unprecedented security measures, more than 22 lakh aspirants are scheduled to re-examine the NEET (UG) 2026 at 5,440 centers in 551 cities in India and 14 centers abroad on Sunday (June 21, 2026).

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has canceled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) held on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak.

The NTA has put in place comprehensive measures to ensure a fair, safe and candidate-friendly examination on Sunday, it said in an official statement on Saturday (June 20, 2026).

The test will be held in more than 95,000 examination rooms, each equipped with CCTV. A total of 1,38,560 CCTV cameras have been installed, with resources being virtually monitored at national, state and ministerial levels. 51,311 jammers (17,054 ECIL and 34,257 BEL) were deployed to ensure control against misuse of electronic means.

A nationwide mock exercise was conducted on June 20 to test all systems, including jammers, CCTV and control measures.

A large number of personnel were mobilized for examination duties. Each of the more than 95,000 examination rooms will have two supervisors and each center will have more than 10 additional investigative staff. Verification of candidates has been strengthened by deploying 38,795 personnel for screening and 48,448 personnel for biometric verification. A Center System Officer has been deployed at each of the 5,440 centers to monitor the CCTV feed and resolve any technical issues on site.

Over 6000 observers

The NTA has deployed around 6,700 observers at the test centres, supported by more than 100 virtual observers who centrally monitor live CCTV footage. In addition, CCTV footage is analyzed using artificial intelligence-based tools to flag anomalies, providing a multi-layered monitoring system.

There was a massive mobilization of the state and district administrations for the retest. Apart from the police and postal departments, paramilitary forces and the Indian Air Force are also involved in the exercise. On average, around 40 to 50 security personnel will be deployed at each investigation centre. Bank officials have been deployed at around 1,500 bank branches that store confidential investigation material and the Department of Posts will coordinate its teams to collect OMR sheets from around 700 collection centers across the country.

Drinking water and ORS will be provided to the students in the centers in coordination with the state governments. Shaded waiting rooms are available for accompanying parents. Ambulances were deployed in the centers. For candidates, other arrangements include wall clocks in each room, additional pages for rough papers (with pages at the beginning of the booklet for the convenience of left-handed candidates) and an extended examination window to compensate for the time required for entry formalities.

The exam is conducted in English and 12 Indian languages.

Action against rumours

The NTA closely monitors social media and takes strong action against the spread of rumors and fraudulent claims of a ‘paper leak’. Candidates and parents are advised to rely only on official communication from NTA and do not take note of unverified reports.

The NTA appeals to all stakeholders to provide full support to candidates and help reduce exam day stress so that candidates can appear for the exam in a calm, safe and supportive environment.

Published – 20 Jun 2026 22:13 IST