Jaipur, June 22 -- Around 209,000 students appeared for the Re-NEET UG 2026 examination held at 577 centres across 25 districts of Rajasthan on Sunday, as authorities implemented unprecedented security measures to prevent a repeat of last year's paper leak, officials aware of the matter said. According to the officials, authorities, aiming for a completely leak-proof process, transported question papers under a confidential, multi-layered security mechanism. Papers were flown to Jaipur by special Indian Air Force helicopters and subsequently dispatched to districts under tight escort. They were stored in central bank strong rooms, guarded by police along with teams from the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Distribution of question papers from bank strong rooms to examination centres began at 9.00 am. CRPF personnel supervised transportation to each centre. Candidate entry commenced at 11.00 am and no student was allowed to enter after 1:30 pm. Candidates facing biometric verification issues were permitted to sit after submitting an undertaking form. Authorities installed high-definition CCTV cameras and advanced jammers at all 577 centres. The jammers disrupted mobile and internet connectivity within about a 50-metre radius of examination venues. A central control room monitored activity continuously throughout the day. The National Testing Agency supplied specially marked wall clocks for use during the examination. For the first time, candidates were given an additional 15 minutes to read and understand the paper, increasing the total duration from three hours to three hours and 15 minutes. Jaipur, Kota and Sikar were identified as sensitive districts owing to concerns arising from the previous paper leak case. Special surveillance teams were deployed in these cities, and more than 70 people were questioned during the three days preceding the examination. Medical college students were asked to forgo their Sunday duties to assist with arrangements. In Jaipur, District Collector Sandesh Nayak supervised the arrangements. "To ensure transparency, the administration appointed 24 Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officers as flying squads and duty magistrates, with each magistrate overseeing four examination centres." said Nayak. Police Commissioner Sachin Mittal visited several centres to review security measures and ensure the smooth conduct of the examination. As a precaution, shops near examination venues were temporarily shut. In Sikar, the epicentre of the previous paper leak controversy, senior police officers and Quick Response Teams inspected centres throughout the day. Additional superintendent of police Dr Tejpal Singh said, "25 flying squads had been formed in the district, with each team monitoring three to four centres." Besides, 182 BSF personnel were deployed for security. In the evening, answer sheets and papers were transported to collection centres under BSF protection. Strict dress-code norms created unusual scenes at several centres. Candidates were required to remove bracelets before entering examination halls. At some centres, female candidates were asked to remove earrings and nose rings. Where ornaments could not be removed, they were either taped or cut off. Sumit Khandelwal, 17, a student appearing for the exam in Jaipur, said, "Security arrangements were much stricter this time. There was some apprehension earlier, but now we feel reassured. We hope this year's exam does not witness a repeat of last year's events."...