In a startling turn of events, the Ministry of Education has abruptly cancelled the UGC-NET exam just a day after it was conducted nationwide. The decision, affecting over 9 lakh candidates vying for Assistant Professor posts and research fellowships, follows concerns over the exam’s integrity.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra swiftly criticized the government, highlighting what she called “laxity” in handling the examination process and demanding accountability.
According to the Education Ministry, the decision to cancel the June 2024 UGC-NET exam stemmed from inputs received from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit. These inputs indicated potential compromises to the exam’s integrity, although the ministry did not confirm any specific instances of leaked papers.
“The cancellation is to ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process,” the Ministry stated in its announcement. It assured that a fresh exam date would be communicated later, underscoring its commitment to fair assessment practices.
The UGC-NET exam, held twice annually, serves as a critical gateway for candidates seeking roles as Assistant Professors or pursuing junior research fellowships across various disciplines. The sudden cancellation has left many aspirants in limbo, awaiting further directives from the authorities.
Earlier, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar had lauded the smooth conduct of the exam across 1,205 centers in 317 cities, with a participation rate of 81% among registered candidates. His positive assessment was overshadowed by subsequent developments leading to the cancellation.
Meanwhile, the controversy mirrors similar concerns raised during the recent NEET-UG 2024 exam, where allegations of question paper leaks and irregularities marred the assessment process for medical aspirants. The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for both exams, faced intense scrutiny and legal challenges in the aftermath of NEET-UG’s conclusion.
In response to queries about NEET-UG, the ministry emphasized that issues regarding grace marks and exam conduct in specific regions were under investigation. The government reiterated its commitment to upholding examination sanctity and protecting student interests, pledging stringent action against any individuals or organizations found culpable in compromising exam protocols.
As both incidents unfold, they underscore broader challenges in maintaining the integrity of competitive exams that shape the academic and professional futures of millions of students nationwide.
Here are the netizens reactions:
One user wrote, “UGC Net exam is said to be cancelled NEET exam compromised What’s going with these National level exams 2,333,297 candidates appear in NEET fighting for 55,648 seats are in government colleges This makes students feel a sense of hopelessness How to prevent such incidents?”. While Youtuber Dhruv Rather wrote, “The controversy over NEET had not stopped that now NTA announced the cancellation of UGC NET. As per NTA, the integrity of the exam has been compromised. The Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign now, this government and its Ministers are useless.”
The controversy over NEET had not stopped that now NTA announced the cancellation of UGC NET.
As per NTA, the integrity of the exam has been compromised.
The Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign now, this government and its Ministers are useless.#UGCNET… pic.twitter.com/R83PHxEGgz
— Dhruv Rathee (Parody) (@dhruvrahtee) June 19, 2024
