A major move has been made by the Ministry of Education: the National Testing Agency (NTA)-conducted UGC NET exam has been canceled because of concerns about its integrity. The decision was made in response to suggestions that the examination process may have been compromised, which were provided to the University Grants Commission (UGC) by the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The ministry said that a retest would be conducted, the specifics of which will be revealed subsequently, and ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET June 2024 examination in response to these inputs. Also, the case has been turned over to the CBI for a comprehensive probe.
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At a change from past practice, the UGC NET exam, which assesses an Indian national's eligibility for assistant professor jobs, junior research grants, and admission to PhD programs at Indian universities and colleges, was conducted in pen and paper format on June 18. A total of 11 lakh students registered for it this year.
In light of the wider controversy surrounding the NEET exam, which saw over 24 lakh candidates show up for the NTA's May 5 undergraduate medical courses exam, the UGC NET exam has been postponed. There have been lawsuits and protests over alleged question paper leaks and other anomalies. There have been cases filed at the Supreme Court among other courts.
A top Ministry of Education official underlined in a statement that the government is dedicated to upholding the integrity of exams and safeguarding students' interests. The government is dedicated to upholding the integrity of exams and safeguarding students' interests, the official declared. It's important to stress that anyone or any organization proven to be participating in this will be dealt with harshly." The ministry said that in order to maintain the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the June 2024 exam would be canceled.
Reports have surfaced that the exam paper was leaked, however the ministry has not confirmed this. The statement merely stated that the Central Bureau of inquiry has been tasked with conducting an inquiry. Protests and legal activities, including cases filed in several courts, including the Supreme Court, have been sparked by allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities.
Regarding the NEET dispute, the ministry said, "The issue related to grace marks has already been fully addressed. As regards certain irregularities alleged in the conduct of the examination in Patna, a detailed report has been sought from the Economic Offences Unit, Bihar Police. The government will take further action on receipt of this report."
**Image Courtesy- TV 9 Telugu