Government Cancels UGC-NET Exam Due to Irregularities; CBI to Investigate

New Delhi: The central government has cancelled the UGC-NET exam held on Tuesday, June 18. This decision was announced on Wednesday, June 19, following reports of irregularities during the exam, which was conducted in two shifts in the traditional pen-and-paper format.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) received inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs, indicating potential breaches in exam integrity. The Ministry of Education, citing preliminary evidence of malpractice, directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to annul the exam to ensure the transparency and fairness of the process. The exam will be rescheduled, with further details to be announced separately. The matter has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough investigation.

The UGC-NET exam is crucial for PhD admissions, Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), and Assistant Professor positions across universities in India. This recent exam covered 83 subjects and was conducted in two shifts: the first from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and the second from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

UGC Chairman M. Jagadeesh Kumar noted that the exam took place in 317 cities nationwide, with approximately 81% of the 1.12 million registered candidates attending. Previously, the UGC-NET was administered as an online computer-based test. The shift to a pen-and-paper format aimed to streamline the examination process, ensuring all subjects and centres were covered on the same day, including those in remote locations.