It wasn’t a palatable song on the street of New Delhi, Mumbai, etc. after the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam in India. It was a national disaster, which affected apparently over 900,000 lives. About 1.1m candidates registered for the grant scholarship.
The cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) marks the second instance of a national-level examination coming under recent scrutiny amid continuing uproar over the integrity of the undergraduate medical entrance exam or NEET.
It is also the first time a national-level exam has been cancelled since the government implemented a new anti-paper leak law.
Enacted in February this year, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act passed in parliament mandates a three- to five-year imprisonment and a fine of up to INR1 million (US$12,000) for those engaging in unfair practices and offences during exams.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), an autonomous testing organisation under the Ministry of Education authorised to conduct entrance examinations for admission and fellowship in higher education institutions, conducted the UGC-NET June 2024 examination in OMR (pen and paper) mode on 18 June in two shifts across the country.
However, a day later the Ministry of Education (MoE) said that the higher education regulator, the UGC, had received certain inputs on the examination which prima-facie indicated that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised.
Investigation announced
The UGC-NET is eagerly awaited by numerous candidates seeking to build a career as educators in India's higher education sector. This year, a staggering 1.1 million students registered for the UGC-NET exam. However, the fate of about 900,000 candidates who took the exam remains uncertain.
The UGC-NET exam cancellation coincides with ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in the 2024 National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (undergraduate) or NEET, a nationwide entrance examination also conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission in undergraduate medical programmes.
Federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday 20 June told media that a high-level committee will be set up to look into the issue of paper leaks and the functioning of the NTA.
“The committee will give its recommendations to further improve NTA, its structure, functioning, examination process, transparency and data security protocol,” said Pradhan.
Under immense pressure from the opposition parties over the paper leaks, Pradhan pointed to an “institutional failure” of the NTA, and took moral responsibility for the mess.
On the reasons behind the scrapping of the UGC-NET entrance exam, the minister said the home affairs ministry found evidence of question papers being circulated on the dark net and across Telegram channels.
Cancellation announcement
Explaining the decision to cancel the UGC-Net June exam, a spokesperson of the MoE said it was necessary to ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process. A fresh examination would be conducted, for which information will be shared separately.
Simultaneously, the matter has been handed over to the country’s premier investigation agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, for investigation.
Rajesh Jha, a former member of the Executive Council of Delhi University, told University World News the measures announced were “symptomatic treatments”, rather than treatments that addressed the “root of the ailments”.
“As the voices were raised over paper leaks and the NEET scam, MoE is dishing out small concessions,” he said.
“The problem lies in the structure and scope of the NTA. The unrest amongst the students and youth is getting channelled through opposition parties, which may see meaningful discussion in the parliament,” added Jha.
Massive protests
Massive protests were organised in different parts of the country by students and opposition parties on Thursday 20 June in response to the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination.
Candidate Bhavna Sharma, who appeared in the exam in Bhopal in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, said she had worked hard for the test and was optimistic about receiving favourable results. She was taken aback upon discovering the very next day that the exam had been cancelled.
“It is very frustrating,” the candidate said.
“I am getting punished for no fault of mine. I invested a lot of time, effort and resources in preparing for the NET. It is not easy to appear in the exam again.
“Instances of corruption and irregularities in exams are prevalent, and the government needs to take major steps to safeguard the futures of students. The functioning and transparency of the NTA is also dubious,” she added.
Ajay Sharma, a student and resident of New Delhi, said he was optimistic about passing the NET exam in the second try, but the cancellation was a big disappointment.
“Paper leaks have been a persistent problem for the past two to three years, showing no signs of stopping. The government has not succeeded in managing it.
“NET and NEET both have been conducted by the NTA and irregularities have been noted in both examinations. There are serious doubts about the NTA’s competence in conducting examinations effectively and fairly,” said Sharma.
Rahul Vishwakarma, another candidate in Delhi, said that students bear the consequences of the system, resulting in the loss of an entire year.
“Like many other students, I have lost trust in the system,” he said.
Ruling party under fire
The paper leaks are proving to be a big challenge for Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP. Despite securing a third consecutive term in power, the party’s majority has decreased notably.
While the government has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating corruption and fixing lacunae, it has failed to appease the concerns of the youth.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have alleged that the Modi government is playing with the future of the youth.
Priyanka Gandhi, a senior leader and general secretary of the main opposition Congress party, accused the BJP government of “corruption and negligence” that was detrimental for the youth.
In an online post, she said: “After the NEET exam scam revelation, the cancellation of the NET exam held on 18th June due to suspected irregularities raises concerns. Will accountability be fixed now? Will the education minister assume responsibility for this laxity?”
Rahul Gandhi, former president of Congress, alleged that the country’s education system “had been taken over by the BJP”.
Speaking with the media, Gandhi said the opposition will raise the issue of paper leaks in parliament.
“Incompetent people were being appointed on an ideological basis in India's education system and institutions, due to which the quality had been hit,” Gandhi said.
He suggested that unless the institutions were removed from the control of such people, the issues would persist and worsen.