The Ministry of Education canceled the UGC NET June 2024 exam a day after the NTA conducted it. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the National Eligibility Test (NET) exam. The NTA conducted the UGC NET exam on June 18 and canceled it a day later, on June 19.
The NTA conducts the NET exam for the posts of professors, and assistant professors, and for entrance to Ph.D. in colleges and universities. They conduct the exam twice a year, in June and December. The Ministry of Education canceled the 2024 June attempt a day after suspecting that “the exam may have been compromised.”
Here’s What The NTA Said On NET Exam
According to the Ministry of Education, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) provided information that led to the cancellation of the exam due to the possibility of compromises in the integrity of the exam.
The Ministry of Education announced that it will hand the matter over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough probe. They canceled the exam to ensure transparency and maintain the sanctity of the examination process.
Leaked UGC NET Paper Found On Telegram
On Thursday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan revealed that the papers were leaked on the darknet. Pradhan said, “Based on information received from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), we found prima facie that there were question papers in the darknet. The UGC NET question papers were circulated on Telegram (messaging platform).
A senior official also revealed that UGC-NET question papers were being sold for 500 to 5,000 Rupees. Pradhan also added, “The question papers were found to be authentic when matched with the original. Therefore, the exams had to be canceled to safeguard the interests of the aspirants.
Students And Parents Angry At The NTA
Days ago, the NEET-UG controversy erupted as allegations over paper leaks and irregularities in exams arose. The NTA conducted both the NEET-UG and NET exams. First NEET-UG, and now UGC-Net. Protesters had already held demonstrations against the NEET-UG exam, and the cancellation of the NET exam has further fueled the ongoing fire.
More than 11 lakh candidates had registered for the UGC NET, and over 24 lakh had appeared for the NEET-UG exams. The students and parents are protesting nationwide against the NTA. On Thursday, students protested irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams outside the Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi.
Leaders Speak Out Against The Government
Following the cancellation of the UGC NET and irregularities in the NEET-UG exams, many leaders expressed their concerns. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, etc. blamed the government for the irregularities in the exams.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed her concerns on the social media platform X)formerly Twitter). The Congress leader described the irregularities as the BJP government’s negligence and corruption affecting the youth.