With an aim to secure examinations, the new headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in Central Delhi will now be secured by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).The Home Ministry has approved CISF security cover for the premises from where confidential operations regarding examinations will be conducted.“39 CISF personnel have been deployed at the headquarters. They are deployed to monitor movements at the confidential areas in the headquarters,” an official requesting anonymity said.As part of its security overhaul, the NTA has shifted its headquarters from Okhla in South Delhi to Government Printing Press at Minto Road in Central Delhi earlier this month.The move comes after the NEET-UG paper leak as the NTA is overhauling its examination and security system.In a review meeting held by Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi in August, the agency was directed to shift to new premises with security arrangements reinforced through the deployment of CISF teams.The NTA will also hire domain specialists from the private sector in areas such as cybersecurity and question paper design. The agency will also introduce a four-tier question paper checking system to strengthen scrutiny and reduce the possibility of errors.In July, the NTA floated a Rs 7.5-crore tender for round-the-clock security services at its headquarters and regional offices. According to the tender document, the testing agency aims to safeguard NTA personnel, visitors, assets, premises, records, confidential examination material, server rooms, strong rooms and other critical infrastructure.It had also invited veterans from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the armed forces, as well as professionals with experience in securing critical infrastructure, to join its command centre responsible for securing high-stakes examinations.Parallelly, the Centre’s newly constituted High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) on examination reforms, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, is reviewing the NTA’s statutory framework and recommend the use of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and other emerging technologies to make examinations more secure and leak-proof. The HPTF will submit its recommendations by October.The NTA is further set to induct 20-25 officials in the coming weeks. NTA has invited veterans from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the armed forces, as well as professionals with experience in securing critical infrastructure, to join its command centre responsible for securing high-stakes examinations.