New Delhi, June 9 -- The National Testing Agency (NTA) will use the Indian Air Force (IAF) to speed up the distribution of question papers for the June 21 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate or NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, which is being conducted during the monsoon season which affects roadconnectivity in some parts of India. NTA's aim in using IAF is to halve delivery time from the usual 8-10 days to 4-5 days officials familiar with the matter said on Monday. The officials added that the agency will have to conduct, in 38 days, an exercise that typically takes around six months preparation. The retest was announced on May 15, and the compressed timeline has required the agency to recreate the entire examination cycle - from paper setting and translation to printing and distribution - in little over a month. The decision to involve IAF is intended to ensure the secure and timely movement of confidential question papers to more than 550 cities, including remote and weather-sensitive locations such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, ahead of the June 21 test. "Normally, transportation of question papers takes eight to 10 days. With IAF support, we expect to bring that down to four or five days," an NTA official said, requesting anonymity. NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 on May 12, nine days after 2.27 million students sat for the examination across 551 cities. The biggest challenge, NTA officials said, is the movement of question papers across the country during the ongoing monsoon season. Remote island centres also pose logistical difficulties....