UGC-NET June 2024 exams cancelled after "exam integrity compromised"
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam due to initial evidence suggesting that the integrity of the exam has been compromised.
Over 9 lakh candidates had appeared for the exam, which is held on 18 June for Assistant Professor posts in universities and colleges and to determine eligibility for junior research fellowships.
The Education Ministry stated that the UGC-NET examination will be rescheduled, with new dates to be announced soon.
The case of examination irregularities will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation, it added.
“A fresh examination shall be conducted, for which information shall be shared separately. Simultaneously, the matter is being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (C.B.I.) for thorough investigation in the matter,” the ministry said in a statement.
The announcement triggered an immediate reaction from Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who called out the Union government for its "laxity" and demanded that accountability be fixed.
In a post in Hindi on X, she said: “The BJP government's regime of leaks and laxity is detrimental to the youth. Following reports of irregularities in the NEET exam, the NET exam held on June 18 has also been canceled due to suspected irregularities. Will accountability now be established? Will the Education Minister take responsibility for this negligence?”
There have been reports of the paper of the examination being leaked, but this was not confirmed by the ministry. The UGC-NET is conducted twice every year, in June and December.
This development arises amidst ongoing controversy and protests concerning the NEET (undergraduate) 2024. Issues escalated when 1,563 candidates received grace marks, and 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear new petitions on Thursday seeking the cancellation of the Neet-UG 2024 examination due to allegations of a paper leak.
