The Ministry of Education announced Wednesday the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18, citing concerns over the integrity of the examination process.
In an official press release, the Ministry stated that the decision was made to ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity in the examination process. The Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to conduct a fresh examination, the details of which will be shared separately.
The cancellation comes after the University Grants Commission (UGC) received inputs on June 19 from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. These inputs suggested potential compromises to the integrity of the examination.
Simultaneously, the matter has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (C.B.I.) for a thorough investigation.
The UGC-NET exam, which was attended by 81% of the over 11.21 lakh registered candidates across 317 cities, is a crucial test for determining eligibility for 'Assistant Professor' and 'Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor' positions in Indian universities and colleges. The exam was conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode by the NTA.
In a tweet, UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar confirmed the examination had been conducted successfully at 1205 exam centres.
Meanwhile, addressing issues related to the NEET-UG Examination, the Ministry of Education assured that the matter concerning grace marks had been fully addressed. The government has taken note of reports regarding alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examination in Patna and has sought a detailed report from the Economic Offences Unit of Bihar Police.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to maintaining the sanctity of examinations and protecting the interests of students, warning of strict action against any individuals or organizations found involved in the matter.
For further updates, candidates are advised to stay tuned to official announcements regarding the rescheduled UGC-NET examination.