After NEET UG 2026 controversy, NTA moves to tighten security with Rs 7.5 crore tender

NEW DELHI: Following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has floated a Rs 7.5-crore tender for round-the-clock security services at its headquarters at Minto Road, regional offices at Okhla, storage facilities and other notified locations. According to the tender document, the move aims to safeguard NTA's personnel, visitors, assets, premises, records, confidential examination material, server rooms, strong rooms and other critical infrastructure.

The July 25 Request for Proposal (RFP) said the estimated contract value is "Rs 7.5 crore plus GST (tentative) for a 2-year contract without variation". Bids can be submitted until 3 pm on August 17, and the printing-services tender closes on August 20, it said.

The contract will initially remain valid for two years and can be extended for two additional one-year periods, subject to satisfactory performance, mutual consent and approval of the competent authority.

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NTA's tender requires a Rs 15 lakh deposit

The tender requires a Rs 15 lakh deposit and will be evaluated under the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) model, where the technical score carries 70 per cent weightage and the financial score carries 30 per cent. "The bidder must have provided professional security services for at least five years as of the last date for bid submission," the document said.

The RFP requires bidders to have experience providing security services to Central Government Ministries, Departments, Autonomous Bodies, Public Sector Undertakings, Constitutional Bodies, universities, examination agencies, IT parks, airports, hospitals, metro rail systems or other establishments requiring round-the-clock security.

Bidders must also have an average annual turnover of not less than Rs 10 crore during the last three financial years. The document stated that "the selected agency shall deploy professionally trained, physically fit, police-verified and experienced security personnel."

NTA: Scope of work

The scope of work includes access control, premises protection, patrolling, security of confidential examination material, CCTV monitoring, visitor management, fire and emergency response and incident reporting. The tender said security personnel must ensure the protection of "confidential examination records", "examination logistics", "digital storage media", and strong rooms containing examination-related material and sensitive files entrusted by the NTA.

The RFP said the security personnel must not "access, handle, copy, photograph or disclose" any confidential information encountered during their duty. During examination activities, the security agency must provide additional deployment for crowd management, queue regulation, protection of confidential examination materials and assistance during the movement of sensitive materials.

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Trained manpower at short notice

The agency must also be capable of mobilising additional trained manpower at short notice, according to NTA's operational requirements in the Delhi-NCR region. The tentative manpower requirement includes 40 unarmed male guards, 10 female guards and two security supervisors.

NTA has reserved the right to increase, decrease, redistribute or modify the deployment during the contract, with the manpower requirement varying by up to 50 per cent. The RFP said NTA conducts "high-stakes national entrance examinations involving handling of confidential records, information technology infrastructure, examination-related materials and public interface".

The RFP said the agency's mission is to develop and administer "research-based, valid, reliable, efficient, transparent, fair, and internationally benchmarked assessments" and that it "upholds the principles of quality, efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and security in all its examinations".

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NEET UG paper leak

The tender comes after a couple of months of intense public scrutiny following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which triggered concerns over the integrity and security of the country's largest medical entrance examination.

The controversy had put the spotlight on the handling and movement of confidential examination material, security arrangements and the safeguards in place to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive records.