Neet exam security 'foolproof', paper transport tracked by GPS: Govt to SC

The government told the Supreme Court that Neet question papers are kept secure at every stage, with GPS tracking of vehicles and CCTV monitoring at printing presses to prevent leaks

The Union government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the security system used to conduct Neet-UG examination is “foolproof”, Bar and Bench reported. The government said vehicles carrying question papers are fitted with GPS systems to track their movement.

 

The court was hearing a plea filed by the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) and other stakeholders seeking the conduct of Neet in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.

 

The government said multiple moderators are involved in creating a large question bank for the examination. Since the moderators selecting questions for the final papers do not know which questions will eventually be used, it is difficult for any one person to know the contents of the paper beforehand.

 

 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained the process to the court using a Physics paper requiring 100 questions as an example.

 

First, different groups of moderators prepare a bank of 500 questions. Other moderators then select 100 questions at a time from this bank and prepare four separate question papers. The Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) subsequently selects two of these four papers. The selected papers are then placed in a sealed box and sent to two separate printing presses. The process is carried out under CCTV surveillance and CISF security.

 

The box is secured with a digital key. It can be opened only after the printing press owner contacts the NTA Director General and receives the required code. Once the box is opened, no outsider is allowed inside the printing press. The entire printing process is also video-recorded, he said, as quoted by Bar and Bench.   

 

Question papers tracked during transport

 

Mehta told the court that vehicles carrying Neet question papers are equipped with GPS systems. He said even minor movements of the vehicles are recorded, allowing authorities to monitor the papers throughout their transportation.

 

He also said the printing press operator does not know which examination centre will eventually receive the question papers.

 

“The QP along with OMR is sealed in a sealed envelope, to open the envelope I have to break the seal,” Mehta was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.

 

SC seeks details on Neet reform measures

 

During the hearing, the apex court directed the NTA to file an affidavit outlining the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan panel and the Nandan Nilekani committee on reforms to the Neet examination system, the news report said.

 

The government's submissions come months after the Neet-UG examination held on May 3 was cancelled by the NTA following allegations of a question paper leak and malpractice. The NTA then ordered a re-examination for June 21. The CBI later took charge of the case, and its investigation resulted in arrests and claims that some students had received exam-related questions before the test.