NEET-UG 2025: Ministry of Education ensures tight security and coordination

The Ministry of Education is taking stringent measures to ensure that the upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is conducted smoothly and securely. As part of these efforts, the ministry has been holding a series of important meetings with district magistrates and superintendents of police from all states and Union Territories. The aim is to eliminate any possibility of errors or irregularities, following the controversies that affected last year's exam.

Scheduled for May 4, 2025, the exam will be held across more than 550 cities at over 5,000 examination centres nationwide. In an attempt to prevent any repeat of previous issues, the Ministry of Education is focusing on creating a fail-safe plan.

According to sources, a key element of the current strategy involves district-level coordination committees being fully activated to manage logistics, security, and respond to any crises. A layered security protocol will be implemented, including additional frisking by district police officers, alongside the security measures designated by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at each exam centre.

"To ensure smooth, fair and secure conduct of NEET-UG, a series of meetings have been held with DMs and SPs of all states and UTs. The district-level coordination committees are being fully activated to manage logistics, security and crisis response," a source said to news agency PTI.

Coordination with Local Authorities and Security Forces

"There will be multi-layered frisking by district police in addition to NTA-designated security at the centres. The transport of confidential materials like question papers and OMR sheets will be under full police escort. Coaching centres and digital platforms will be monitored to prevent organised cheating networks," the source added.

Tight Monitoring of Exam Material and Coaching Centres

The movement of confidential exam materials, such as question papers and OMR sheets, will be heavily secured with police escorts. Moreover, the ministry is keeping a close watch on coaching centres and digital platforms to prevent the emergence of organised cheating networks, a concern highlighted in previous years.

To further enhance security, duty magistrates will be assigned to carry out mandatory inspections of all examination centres, while district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs) will conduct personal visits to ensure centres are fully prepared.

Response to Past Irregularities

This initiative comes after significant scrutiny over the conduct of last year’s NEET-UG, as well as other exams such as the University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), both of which faced allegations of irregularities. The Ministry of Education had established a special panel to review these issues and ensure transparency and fairness in the examination process, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues to probe the matter.

For the NEET-UG 2025, the exam will see over 23 lakh candidates vying for a place in medical colleges across India. In collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education has entrusted 180 central institutions to verify the preparedness of examination centres across the country.

"Monitored by the education ministry, 180 central institutions have been entrusted to verify the preparedness of the centres. The Ministry is closely working with the Home Ministry, which also conducted meetings with state chief secretaries and DGPs to take stock of the ground situation," the source said.

Centre-Level Monitoring for Exam Preparedness

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also launched a platform to allow candidates to report any suspicious activities related to the exam. Candidates can report cases such as unauthorised websites or social media accounts claiming access to the NEET-UG question paper, individuals falsely claiming to have access to exam content, or impersonators posing as NTA or government officials. NTA Director General Pradeep Singh Kharola explained that the platform is designed to help maintain the integrity of the exam, in line with the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which aims to prevent unfair practices in public examinations.