Embattled NTA floats ₹7.5 crore tender for round-the-clock security at HQ, regional offices

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has floated a ₹7.5 crore tender to hire a professional security agency for round-the-clock security services at its headquarters on Delhi’s Minto Road, regional offices in Okhla and other notified locations, as the examination body undergoes a major overhaul following the NEET-UG 2026 controversy.According to the request for proposal (RFP) document, seen by HT, the selected agency will provide “comprehensive security services” to safeguard NTA personnel, visitors, assets, premises, confidential examination material, server rooms, strong rooms, warehouses, record rooms and other critical infrastructure housing sensitive examination records.Also Read | Spain builds 1,600-foot sea barrier after Ceuta migrant crisis leaves 67 deadThe contract will initially be for two years and can be extended by two additional one-year terms based on performance.The tender was issued on July 25 and bids can be submitted until 3 pm on August 17. Technical bids will be opened the same day.The RFP requires bidders to have at least five years of experience in professional security services, an average annual turnover of at least ₹10 crore over the past three financial years and prior experience in securing central government organisations, examination agencies, universities, airports, hospitals, metro systems or other high-security establishments.Also Read | ‘Being a Gurkha’: Mountaineer Nirmal Purja ‘Dai’, killed by Pak avalanche, had ‘only one dream’According to the document, the estimated value of the contract is ₹7.5 crore, excluding GST, though NTA has reserved the right to increase or reduce deployment requirements and split the work if necessary. Bidders will also have to furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹15 lakh and a performance security equivalent to 5% of the contract value.Unlike conventional government procurement based solely on the lowest financial bid, NTA has opted for a Quality-and-Cost Based Selection (QCBS) model, saying that “the sensitive nature of NTA’s examination ecosystem and confidentiality requirements” makes quality of service paramount.Under the evaluation process, technical quality will carry a weightage of 70% and financial bids 30%. Only agencies securing at least 70 out of 100 marks in the technical evaluation will qualify for the financial round, the document says.The technical assessment will evaluate bidders on their experience in high-security environments, workforce strength, financial capacity, ISO certifications and a presentation on deployment strategy. Agencies will also be assessed on their proposed use of technology, including GPS patrols, biometric attendance systems and incident-reporting mechanisms.The selected agency will be responsible for regulating entry and exit, ensuring that “only authorized persons enter restricted areas”, preventing unauthorised access, maintaining visitor records and deploying hand-held and door-frame metal detectors at entrances and confidential locations.Security personnel will also be tasked with protecting examination material, IT infrastructure, server rooms and storage facilities, while maintaining strict confidentiality regarding examination materials and security arrangements even after the contract ends.The RFP states that the service provider and its personnel “shall maintain strict confidentiality” regarding examination materials, IT systems, security arrangements and other information obtained during the contract, and that this obligation will continue after the contract period ends.The document does not specify what security arrangements existed earlier or whether the facilities were guarded by an outsourced agency or in-house personnel.Queries sent by HT to the NTA and the Union education ministry remained unanswered till the time of publication.While the K. Radhakrishnan committee, constituted after the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, did not recommend hiring a private security agency, it had called for strengthening NTA’s security architecture, including having “in-house security analysts who will analyse the security protocol and make the necessary changes”.The move comes days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet against all 13 arrested accused in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The agency said it had traced the leak from paper setters to beneficiary candidates and uncovered the entire conspiracy.Investigators found no involvement of any government official or NTA functionary and concluded that the paper had been leaked by teachers engaged to set the examination.The alleged leak prompted NTA to cancel the original May 3 examination on May 12 after receiving an email alleging a leak and identifying overlaps between a circulated “guess paper” and the actual question paper. A re-test was conducted on June 21.EOM