UGC-NET: Plea in SC Seeks Stay on Re-Examination

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court against the Union education ministry’s decision to cancel the UGC-NET test following inputs that the exam’s integrity may have been compromised.

The ministry, on June 19, had ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam and handed the matter over to the CBI for investigation.

The plea is scheduled to come up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud and Justices J. B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Advocate Ujjawal Gaur, who filed the plea, seeks to halt the re-examination of the UGC-NET until the CBI completes its investigation into the alleged paper leak.

The petitioner argues that the cancellation decision is arbitrary and unjust, especially in light of recent findings by the CBI. The plea, submitted through advocate Rohit Pandey, claims that the evidence of the paper leak is falsified, undermining the basis for the exam’s cancellation.

The petitioner contends that the unjust cancellation has caused significant distress, anxiety, and unnecessary expenditure for aspirants who had prepared rigorously for this crucial exam. It has disrupted the academic and professional plans of numerous students, undermining their trust in the examination system.

The petitioner argues that the cancellation based on falsified evidence is a gross miscarriage of justice, violating the principles of fairness and equity enshrined in the Constitution of India. The arbitrary nature of the decision reflects a lack of due diligence and disregard for the welfare of students. Moreover, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced new dates for the NET exam in August 2024, despite the ongoing investigation.

The plea seeks directions for the CBI to expedite its inquiry into the UGC-NET paper leak allegations and submit a detailed report. It also requests that the respondents provide documentation and evidence supporting the cancellation decision, including specifics on the alleged paper leak and the methodology used to determine the leak on the dark web.

This year, the National Eligibility Test (NET) was conducted in pen-and-paper mode on June 18, with a record 11 lakh students registering for the exam. UGC-NET determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for the award of junior research fellowships, assistant professorships, and admission to PhD programs in Indian universities and colleges.