UGC-NET 2024: Why did Centre cancel the exam? How is it conducted? Explained

The ministry of education on Wednesday night ordered cancellation of UGC-NET following inputs of exam's integrity being compromised.

Around 11 lakh students will have to retake the UGC-NET examination after the Union education ministry cancelled it following concerns about its integrity. The exam's new dates will be announced soon.

Aspirants coming out from an examination centre after appeared in the UGC NET exams at A.N. College in Patna, Bihar, India, Tuesday,18, 2024.(Photo by Santosh Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

What is UGC-NET?

The UGC-NET or University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test, determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for roles as assistant professors or for junior research fellowships and assistant professors in universities and colleges across India.

The awarding of JRF and/or eligibility for assistant professorship is contingent on a candidate's combined performance in paper-I and paper-II of the UGC-NET.

Candidates who qualify only for assistant professorship must adhere to the recruitment regulations of the respective universities, colleges, or state governments.

What is NTA?

The National Testing Agency (NTA), established in November 2017 under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, is an autonomous body tasked with conducting various entrance examinations for admissions to higher educational institutions. NTA conducts exams such as NEET, JEE, CTET, GATE, GPAT, GMAT, CAT, and UGC-NET.

The agency is chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by the human resource development ministry, currently chaired by Pradeep Kumar Joshi, a former chairman of UPSC. IAS Subodh Kumar Singh is director general of NTA.

How UGC-NET is conducted?

NTA is authorised to take UGC-NET test. It is held twice a year (June & December).

Since December 2018, the UGC-NET has been conducted by NTA in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. However, this time, in a departure from previous practice, the National Eligibility Test (NET) was conducted in pen-and-paper mode on a single day — June 18 — with a record 11 lakh students registering for the exam.

Why Centre cancelled UGC-NET

The ministry of education announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET June 2024 exam based on inputs received from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the ministry of home affairs.

These inputs indicated potential compromises in the examination's integrity, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

To uphold transparency and the sanctity of the examination process, the ministry decided to cancel the exam and initiate a fresh examination cycle, the statement added.

The matter has also been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough investigation.