The Ministry of Education has canceled the UGC-NET exam, which was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) just a day earlier, NDTV reported.
Over 900,000 candidates had taken the exam, which is crucial for qualifying for Assistant Professor positions in universities and colleges, as well as for determining eligibility for junior research fellowships.
The Ministry’s statement clarified that the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) for June 2024 was held on Tuesday in OMR (pen and paper) mode across the country in two shifts.
The cancellation followed inputs received on June 19, 2024, from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The inputs suggested that the integrity of the exam might have been compromised. The Ministry emphasized the need for maintaining transparency and announced that the exam would be rescheduled, with a new date to be announced later.
Although there have been reports of a potential paper leak, the Ministry did not confirm this. Instead, it has referred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further inquiry.
The UGC-NET is typically held twice a year, in June and December.
UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar had earlier posted on social media that the June 2024 UGC-NET was conducted successfully by the NTA to determine eligibility for Junior Research Fellowships, Assistant Professor positions, and Ph.D. admissions across 83 subjects. The examination took place at 1,205 centers in 317 cities, with 81% of the 1,121,225 registered candidates appearing for it.
In a related matter, the NEET-UG 2024 exam for undergraduate medical courses, also conducted by the NTA, saw participation from nearly 2.4 million students on May 5. Results were announced on June 4, ahead of schedule. However, allegations of question paper leaks and the awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 students have led to protests and legal cases, including one in the Supreme Court.
Regarding NEET, the Ministry stated that issues related to grace marks have been resolved, and a detailed report on alleged irregularities in Patna has been requested from the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police. The government has affirmed its commitment to maintaining the integrity of examinations and safeguarding students’ interests, promising strict action against any individuals or organizations found involved in malpractice.