Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and ‘We The Leaders’ founder K. Annamalai on Tuesday, June 16, criticised the extensive security arrangements that have been put in place for the NEET-UG retest on June 21.
In a post on X, the former Tamil Nadu BJP chief argued that such measure could further increase anxiety among students rather than restoring confidence in the examination process.
“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 21st June 2026,” Annamalai wrote.
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…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 16, 2026
Acknowledging the need for stronger safeguards, Annamalai went on to question whether the scale of the arrangements was appropriate for the national entrance examination.
“While the government has taken measures to contain leaks, they have forgotten the additional burden they have imposed on a young 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’,” he wrote.
Annamalai has also raised ojection to the extension of the examination duration from 180 minutes to 195 minutes. He contended that the additional time, along with stricter entry procedures, could further burden candidates.
“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. 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,” he wrote.
BJP reacts to Annamalai
Reacting to Annamalai’s X post, BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam stated that biometric verification, CCTV monitoring, security checks and supervision are standard practices in any “serious, large-scale examination.”
“China’s Gaokao is taken by over 13 million students every year under some of the world’s strictest examination protocols. Nobody calls it ‘militarisation’ they call it protecting merit,” he wrote.
Biometric verification, CCTV monitoring, security checks and supervision are standard practices in any serious, large-scale examination.
China’s Gaokao is taken by over 13 million students every year under some of the world’s strictest examination protocols. Nobody calls it… https://t.co/Q8NXD57VZ2
— Vinoj P Selvam (@VinojBJP) June 16, 2026
He added, “When India wants is competing with super powers across the world and become a Greater nation, we need credibility and fair competition. Students deserve confidence in the system, not political fearmongering every time standards are enforced.”