New Delhi: The ministry of education cancelled the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) for June 2024 late Wednesday night, a day after the exam took place. In a statement, the ministry cited concerns that the “integrity of the examination may have been compromised” and announced that fresh examinations will be conducted for which further information will be shared separately. The case has been handed over to the CBI for a thorough investigation, it added.
The exam, which reportedly affected 9 lakh students, is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), at the centre of the ongoing row concerning the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG).
Following the cancellation, many students expressed their frustration and disappointment with the NTA, which is already facing legal battles over alleged mismanagement and irregularities in the NEET UG 2024. The agency’s ability to conduct exams effectively has come under serious scrutiny.
Candidates say they have been grappling with poor management, including the late release of admit cards and inadequate facilities at exam centers, and alleged paper leaks.
“The Ministry of Education has decided to cancel the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination based on inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which prima-facie indicate that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised,” said the ministry in its press release. “The government is committed to ensuring the sanctity of examinations and protecting the interests of students.”
Students from different universities, meanwhile, have expressed surprise at Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to cancel the exam.
“Nothing suspicious happened at our centres and we did not hear anything like that from the other students,” said one student from Allahabad University speaking to PTI.
VIDEO | Here's what UGC-NET aspirants from UP's Prayagraj said on NTA cancelling the exam.
"We are shocked. Nothing like that had happened at the examination centre that hinted that the exam could get cancelled." #UGCNET
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/xw46OCELyi
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 19, 2024
Meanwhile, students who were happy with their performance in the exam feel cheated.
“I matched my answers after the exam and I was very positive that I would clear the test this time. My celebration has turned into mourning. But I don’t have time to get sad. I have to open my books again and start studying immediately. It is a matter of my future,” said Sandeep Chaubey, who has done his Masters in Hindi from Delhi University, to ThePrint.
Pallavi Anand, a PhD scholar at Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi VishwaVidyalaya in Wardha, Maharashtra, too, had spent months preparing to take the UGC NET. After finally having sat for it Tuesday, the 27-year-old thought she could finally take a break from her exhausting study schedule. But the news of the cancellation has forced her to open her books again.
“NTA has been a total disappointment this time throughout. At first, they kept changing the exam dates and allotments. This time the exam was happening in offline mode. But when it was conducted online, there were issues too,” said Anand.
“People used to commit a lot of fraud in the online mode too. I was offered the question paper for two lakhs. I refused. I didn’t know this was happening on such a large scale that the exam would be cancelled. The government should do something about it,” she added while speaking to ThePrint.
The UGC NET, or NTA UGC NET, is a national test designed to select candidates for assistant professor or junior research fellowship (JRF) and assistant professor posts in Indian universities. This exam is conducted twice a year, in June and December. Until June 2018, the UGC NET was administered by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC). But as of December 2018, this responsibility was given to the NTA.
“The country’s biggest research entrance exam NET paper was leaked. You can see how 9.5 lakh students were cheated. I have said many times that the NTA should be banned. I again demand that Dharmendra Pradhan open his eyes and ban NTA,” said NSUI president Varun Choudhary while speaking to PTI.
Also read: Don’t make a mountain out of NEET molehill. Deliberate plan to damage NTA’s credibility is on
‘Poor facilities at exam centres, lack of security’
Many students have raised concerns about the management of NTA in conducting such exams. Poor facilities at centres, lack of security for their personal belongings, and now the prospect of retaking the exams have led to additional mental stress for many students.
“The exam should be taken away from the NTA, it is failing the youth and the country. My centre was in Noida, and almost all students’ belongings got stolen there, from Metro cards to phones and bags. No one takes accountability. You spend money on this, and on top of that, it drains one’s mental energy. The condition of the youth in this country is so sad,” Vivek Mishra, who holds a Masters degree in mass communication, said to ThePrint.
The examination was held at 1,205 exam centres across 317 cities for 11,21,225 candidates. Of the total registered candidates, approximately 81 percent appeared for the exam.
“We know that the NTA is the culprit behind this. From NEET to NET, the NTA is incapable of conducting exams, but the education ministry is paying no attention to it,” said JNU Students’ Union President Dhananjay to PTI.
‘Govt must provide answers’
Opposition, meanwhile, has blamed the government. In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do a “NEET Pareeksha par Charcha”.
“This is the defeat of the ego of the Modi government, which has made a malicious attempt to trample the future of our youth,” wrote Kharge in Hindi.
.@narendramodi जी,
आप "परीक्षा पर चर्चा" तो बहुत करते हैं, "NEET परीक्षा पर चर्चा" कब करेंगे?
UGC-NET परीक्षा को रद्द करना लाखों छात्र-छात्राओं के जज़्बे की जीत है।
ये मोदी सरकार के अहंकार की हार है जिसके चलते उन्होंने हमारे युवाओं के भविष्य को रौंदने का कुत्सित प्रयास…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 19, 2024
Speaking to PTI, Rajasthan Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said, “The NTA is surrounded by controversy today. Eleven lakh students appeared for the exam and now it has been canceled. The future of lakhs of students hangs in the balance. The government has to provide answers.”
Academics, too, are concerned. According to them, the exam affects not only the students but also their families.
“Students prepare and travel in this heat with their families. This should not have happened. This should be investigated, and strict action should be taken against the culprits,” said Anitma, an ad hoc assistant professor at Delhi University.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)