Former BJP state president K Annamalai on Tuesday raised concerns over the stringent security measures planned for the NEET UG 2026 retest, saying the arrangements could intensify stress among students instead of easing concerns around examination integrity.
The NEET UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to be held on June 21 from 2 pm to 5 pm in pen-and-paper mode, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Questioning the scale of security put in place for the retest, Annamalai said the measures would add to the “already ballooning exam pressure” on candidates.
Expressing concern over the kind of security to be enforced on young aspirants, Annamalai said, “while the government has taken measures to contain leaks, they have forgotten the additional burden they have imposed on a student before they take up an assessment, one that they have spent months preparing for, dissolving the entire purpose of our exam system and the NEP 2020’s goal to reduce ‘exam stress’.”
In a post on X, Annamalai outlined the security arrangements announced for the examination and criticised what he described as excessive scrutiny.
“Two-tier CRPF+CISF escort with IAF airlift. 4-layer CCTV with AI surveillance. Biometric & facial recognition before entry. Multiple layers of frisking. Multi-level oversight with direct monitoring from the prime minister’s office.
Yes, you read it right. But these are not arrangements to buy high-level, classified, military-grade software. These are the arrangements made by the Ministry of Education for the NEET retest scheduled for June 21, 2026,” Annamalai said on 'X'.
He said students would welcome measures aimed at preventing paper leaks, but argued that increased screening and procedural requirements may worsen anxiety levels.
“Every student would appreciate the government's efforts to prevent paper leaks by implementing additional security measures and enhanced monitoring. But an increase in scrutiny before entry, extended frisking, and an increase in the overall exam time from 180 minutes to 195 minutes will only add to their already ballooning exam pressure,” he said.
Annamalai also flagged technical issues related to admit cards, noting that students had reported difficulties downloading them.
“Despite all these arrangements for the examination, there are issues with downloading the admit cards, and NTA has assured students that it will resolve them at the earliest,” he said.
Stating that stronger safeguards alone may not address deeper concerns, Annamalai added, “Yes, there are challenges that demand meaningful solutions. However, I am concerned that the approach devised for the NEET retest may not resolve the issue; instead, it risks creating a new set of problems.”
(With inputs from PTI)
