NEW DELHI: In response to a recent paper leak that revealed vulnerabilities in India’s largest entrance examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is taking significant steps to bolster security protocols. The agency has initiated plans to place its facilities, secure records, and examination materials under continuous surveillance. To facilitate this, a tender estimated at Rs 7.5 crore has been issued to engage a security firm for its headquarters located on Minto Road, as well as its regional office in Okhla and other designated sites.
Published on July 25, this tender forms part of a comprehensive procurement strategy that encompasses security, maintenance, and examination-grade printing services. Collectively, these bids reflect a proactive approach to tighten oversight throughout the examination process—from printing and storage to access control and safeguarding digital infrastructure.
The security contract will be initially awarded for a duration of two years with the possibility of extending it for an additional two one-year terms. Interested bidders can submit proposals until 3 PM on August 17, while the deadline for printing services is set for August 20.
Responsibilities of the Security Agency
The appointed agency will oversee various aspects including monitoring NTA staff, visitors, and the premises. It will also protect sensitive examination materials, server rooms, strong rooms, warehouses, record storage, and other critical facilities. Their responsibilities will extend to regulating entry and exit points, verifying individuals, maintaining logs, and ensuring that only authorized personnel are allowed in restricted zones.
The security measures will incorporate advanced technologies such as door-frame and handheld metal detectors, GPS-enabled guard patrol tracking, biometric attendance systems, and digital incident reporting protocols.
Selection Criteria for Bidders
The NTA has shifted away from a cost-centric approach in selecting security vendors. Given the “sensitive nature” of NTA’s examination ecosystem and confidentiality mandates, the agency will employ a quality-and-cost based selection model. Here, technical capability will dominate with a 70% weightage, while financial bids will contribute 30%.
Only those agencies that achieve a minimum score of 70 marks in the technical evaluation will advance to the financial bidding phase. Bidders must also meet specific criteria: they need a minimum of five years in the professional security sector, an average annual turnover of Rs 10 crore over the last three financial years, and must have previous experience with high-security environments such as central government bodies, examination institutions, universities, airports, hospitals, or metro systems.
