UGC NET Exam Cancelled Due to Integrity Concerns, New Dates to be Announced Soon
In Short:
- Ministry of Education (MoE) cancels UGC NET exam due to integrity issues.
- Exam was held at 1,205 centres across 317 cities with over 11 lakh candidates.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) received inputs suggesting the exam was compromised.
- Govind Jaiswal of MoE confirms new exam dates will be announced soon.
- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a thorough investigation.
- Similar concerns raised in NEET UG 2024 examination.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced that new dates for the UGC NET exam will be declared soon after the recent exam was cancelled due to integrity concerns. The UGC NET exam, conducted at 1,205 centres in 317 cities for over 11 lakh candidates, was called off a day after it was held.
This decision was made on Wednesday night after the National Testing Agency (NTA) received reports indicating that the June 18 exam may have been compromised. Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary of the MoE, explained in a press conference on Thursday, "The ministry detected a potential compromise in the examination. Therefore, it has been decided to cancel the exam. The new dates will be announced shortly, and the matter has been referred to the CBI for further investigation."
The cancellation aims to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the examination process. Jaiswal emphasized that the Ministry of Education is committed to taking strict action against anyone involved in compromising the exam's fairness. "We are working diligently to protect the students' future and ensure this incident does not jeopardize their academic progress," he added.
The concerns about the exam's integrity were flagged by the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs. "The inputs we received were of a technical nature," Jaiswal noted, which prompted immediate action to cancel the exam.
The case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive investigation. While the MoE assures that all necessary measures are being taken, specific details cannot be disclosed at this stage to avoid interfering with the investigation. "We cannot share more details as it may hamper the investigations. We are taking prompt actions so that the future of students is not compromised," said Jaiswal.
Students are advised to stay updated as the new dates for the UGC NET exam will be announced soon. The ministry's priority is to reschedule the exam as quickly as possible to minimize disruption to the students' academic journey.
This UGC NET incident comes amid similar issues reported in the NEET UG 2024 examination, where allegations of question paper leaks and irregularities, particularly in Bihar, have surfaced. The NTA is addressing these concerns, including issues related to grace marks and alleged irregularities at specific exam centres.