UGC-NET Exam Cancelled, Impacting 900,000 Students; Government Cites Compromised Integrity.

With this decision, UGC-NET becomes the first centrally-administered public examination to be discontinued following the introduction of the new anti-paper leak law by the Centre.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) announced late Wednesday night the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET). This decision came just a day after more than 900,000 candidates sat for the exam in 317 cities, following reports from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs suggesting that the exam's integrity might have been compromised.

With this move, UGC-NET — which is crucial for securing entry-level teaching positions in Indian universities and for admissions to PhD programs — has become the first centrally-conducted public examination to be cancelled under the new anti-paper leak legislation recently enacted by the government.

The MoE also stated that the investigation into the potential compromise of the exam will be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Details about the rescheduled examination will be provided at a later date.

Sources indicate that the newly enacted Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, passed in Parliament in February 2024, is likely to be applied to this examination. The Act imposes penalties of three to five years in prison and fines up to Rs 10 lakh for those found guilty of engaging in unfair practices or related offences.

The Ministry's decision has reportedly taken senior officials at the National Testing Agency (NTA) by surprise. The NTA, responsible for conducting the UGC-NET on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC), is currently under scrutiny for alleged irregularities in the administration of the NEET undergraduate exam, which serves as the sole entrance test for MBBS programs nationwide.

On Tuesday evening, UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar announced via Twitter that the NTA had "successfully conducted UGC-NET June 2024." However, Kumar did not respond to calls made on Wednesday night.

According to a statement from the Ministry, concerns about the UGC-NET exam were flagged by the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit, which operates under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Ministry of Home Affairs. While the statement did not detail the nature of the integrity issues, sources indicated that irregularities were detected at several examination centers.

Additionally, since the exam has been canceled for all 908,580 candidates, it suggests that the suspected breach may have involved the first paper, which is the same for everyone taking the exam.

The UGC-NET exam comprises two papers. The first paper is a general assessment required for all candidates, while the second paper focuses on the candidate's chosen subject from a list of 83 specializations.

The exam spans a total duration of three hours and includes both papers. Each paper contains multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Paper 1 includes 50 questions covering general topics, and Paper 2 consists of 100 questions specific to the candidate's field of study. Importantly, there is no negative marking for incorrect answers in this exam.

The UGC-NET, typically held twice a year in June and December, has been administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in a computer-based format since December 2018. However, this year marked a shift as the exam reverted to the traditional pen-and-paper format.