The Education Ministry announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination for potential compromises in the exam’s integrity. Plans for a rescheduled exam will be disclosed later.
On June 19, the Education Ministry announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination following recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which indicated potential compromises in the exam’s integrity. The UGC-NET, managed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), determines eligibility for Assistant Professors and Junior Research Fellowships.
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This announcement coincides with ongoing controversies surrounding the NTA, particularly regarding alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical courses.
Conducted biannually, UGC-NET exams aim to qualify candidates for academic positions and PhD admissions. The recent exam took place on June 18 across various cities in two shifts.
In a statement on social media platform X, the Ministry of Education affirmed its commitment to maintaining exam integrity and safeguarding student interests. They announced the cancellation of the June 2024 UGC-NET based on preliminary findings from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, suggesting possible examination breaches.
Plans for a rescheduled exam will be disclosed later, and the matter is being transferred to the CBI for thorough investigation.
In response, students, including those from Jawaharlal Nehru University’s student union, plan to protest at the Ministry on Thursday, demanding the resignation of the Education Minister and the UGC Chairperson, along with the abolition of the NTA and NEET.
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Nationwide student protests have been ongoing for the past month, calling for a NEET retest due to alleged exam irregularities.
Following the UGC-NET cancellation, the Opposition questioned why NEET had not been similarly addressed. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge celebrated the UGC-NET cancellation as a triumph for students, criticizing the government for its handling of the issue.
Kharge pointed out that while the Education Minister previously denied any NEET paper leak, recent arrests in Bihar, Gujarat, and Haryana suggest otherwise, prompting demands for NEET’s cancellation.