India plans to use military for war on paper leak. 3 reasons why this is problematic

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 18, 2026 18:42 IST

"Khabar yeh nahi hai ki paper leak hua hai. Khabar tab banti hai jab ki koi pariksha ho jaye jisme paper leak nahi hua hai." This observation by Prashant Kishor, made after the NEET paper leak, sums up the reality of India's examination system. Kishor's statement translates to, "Leaks have become so routine that the real news would be an exam that goes off without one". Unfortunately, he is right. Paper leaks in India have turned into an epidemic of sorts, and a death sentence for many. The systemic rot and complete lack of accountability have reached such an extent that the government has now called in the military to fight its war on paper leaks.

Competitive exams in India, from engineering to medicine, are crushingly stressful. When a paper leak happens, the thought of having to go through the entire grind again becomes unbearable for many. Some students, already pushed to the edge, are unable to cope with the trauma and die by suicide.

So far, at least 50 instances of paper leaks have happened in 16 states over the last five years.

What makes the involvement of the military absurd is that question papers are not being stolen or leaked in transit. The leaks have almost always emerged from within the system itself, through compromised officials, organised criminal syndicates, insiders at exam centres, clerks, and coaching mafias. So, does the Indian Air Force transporting papers or using bullet-proof vehicles make any sense? Absolutely not.

Instead of fixing the institutional rot, the education ministry is now making the IAF transport papers, as if the problem were one of logistics rather than corruption. It creates the illusion of action being taken, nothing more.

Meanwhile, the system remains leaking from the inside. Here are three points why the war on paper leak is a sham.

MILITARY SHOULD NOT CLEAN UP CIVILIAN FAILURES

The government's decision to involve the Indian Air Force in transporting NEET question papers for the re-exam is being sold as a bold step.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the IAF will handle secure transportation of papers, citing logistical challenges and security risks. Earlier, for this very task involved the postal department, the Home Ministry, and state governments.

The government is are now considering airlifting question papers directly from printing presses to high-security distribution hubs across states to reduce the risk of tampering during transportation. The "decisive action" came after Prahan's high-level meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

It is a glaring admission that civilian institutions have collapsed.

Why should the Indian Air Force, a highly professional arm of the Indian military, be dragged into ferrying exam papers because the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the education bureaucracy can no longer be trusted?

It is outsourcing responsibility to a force that is meant to defend the country's borders, respond to wars, and step in during national disasters.

India already has a troubling habit of treating professionals as endlessly deployable administrative labour. School teachers are routinely pulled out of classrooms for everything from census duties to election work and surveys. Now, the IAF is being reduced to ferrying exam papers because civilian institutions cannot ensure a leak-proof examination system. What does that say about governance?

General VK Singh, former Army Chief and current Mizoram Governor, recently pointed out, "NEET papers may get leaked, but in the Army, paper leaks do not happen. It does not happen in the Air Force either. We have devised systems which are absolutely fair."

The armed forces run their own exams with discipline, accountability, and zero tolerance for leaks or manipulation. Their papers are corrected under strict protocols too. The contrast in the civilian system is embarrassing.

2. EDUCATION MINISTRY IS CHOOSING OPTICS OVER REAL REFORMS

Calling in jets and military logistics for exam papers is classic example of all show, little substance. "Fauj bula lo" cannot be a default fix for everything wrong with the rot in the system.

It is going to create dramatic visuals for news channels but does nothing to address the real problem.

The leaks are not happening because papers are stolen during road transport by outsiders. They are leaked by insiders. Corrupt teachers, clerks, peons, and officials within the system.

Instead of dismantling this network, the government is choosing theatre.

Prashant Kishor was right. Paper leaks have become so routine that their absence would be the real headline. Students have died by suicide due to the stress and unfairness.

Lakhs more have seen their futures ruined. Yet the response is to parade the IAF as a saviour.

This is damage control to calm public anger before the re-exam on June 21.

True reform would mean breaking the coaching mafia, making the NTA truly autonomous, severe punishment for those involved, including arrests of high-level enablers, and digital systems with end-to-end encryption.

Deploying planes is the easiest of all the approaches that could have brought an iota of change within the system.

3. IT IS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR INDIA'S INSTITUTIONS

Relying on the military for routine civilian tasks is problematic on many levels.

The armed forces enjoy high public respect precisely because they are kept away from the daily mess of Indian politics and bureaucracy.

What is the military babysits NEET papers, and questions still get leaked through digital means or insider betrayal?

Tomorrow, will we ask the Indian Army to conduct all competitive exams? Or the Navy to deliver answer sheets?

China's Gaokao exam, which involves millions of students, does not need the PLA to courier papers. Their system has its flaws, but it maintains basic integrity through strict enforcement and deterrence. In India, we lack the political will to punish the guilty or reform institutions. So we are hiding behind the military's discipline.

Our education system fails because leaks are profitable and accountability is missing.

Dharmendra Pradhan's announcement may buy some time and positive headlines, but it has not masked the crisis and has only made even the students chuckle.

Until the government stops treating symptoms and starts major surgery on the NTA, coaching cartels, and corrupt networks, this war on paper leak will remain just another spectacle. Jets will fly high, while the future of India's youth goes down the gutter.

- Ends