NTA shifts sensitive operations to new Delhi office with CISF security

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has moved its confidential and sensitive operations to a new facility in central Delhi as part of a major security overhaul following the NEET-UG question paper leak controversy, officials said.

The agency has been allotted more than 55,000 square feet across the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the Government of India Press Building on Minto Road. The sensitive operations were shifted there over the past month, The New Indian Express reported.

The new premises will have security cover from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), with 39 personnel deployed to manage entry and exit points and oversee access-control measures. These will include frisking, baggage screening through X-ray machines and checks using Door Frame Metal Detectors.

Officials said designated confidential areas had been identified within the building, with movement and operations in these sections to be closely monitored. The Union Home Ministry has approved the CISF security arrangement for the premises.

The move comes after the CBI's investigation into the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak highlighted several shortcomings in security arrangements at the NTA's earlier Okhla office. Its chargesheet reportedly identified three subject experts as the primary sources of the leaked question paper and pointed to the absence of frisking or checks when experts entered or exited confidential areas.

The investigation also found that experts could take notes from question papers using small chits made from plain sheets supplied for rough work and translation. The CBI further flagged the lack of a dedicated control room for live CCTV monitoring at the NTA office.

Following the paper leak, the government had constituted a high-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan to recommend measures for strengthening examination security. The panel proposed tighter safeguards covering question-paper handling, candidate registration, admit cards, computer-based examinations, OMR processing, results and other critical processes.

The NTA is now implementing additional safeguards, including tighter access controls, encryption, immutable logging and tamper-evident storage for examination-related systems. Officials said security-readiness assessments would also be conducted before every examination cycle.

The agency plans to strengthen biometric authentication, facial matching, CCTV and live-monitoring systems in coordination with its technology and examination-security teams. It is also establishing an examination-specific cyber-incident response mechanism with enhanced Security Operations Centre monitoring and rapid-response capabilities during examinations.

Independent cybersecurity audits by CERT-In and agencies empanelled by C-DAC are also being carried out as part of the broader security upgrade.