New Delhi: The CSIR-UGC-NET joint examination, which was originally scheduled to take place from Tuesday to Thursday, has been postponed due to a major paper leak scandal, the National Testing Agency announced this evening. In a circular, the agency cited "unavoidable circumstances and logistical issues" as the reasons for the postponement.
A revised timetable for the examination will be announced later on the official website, the agency confirmed.
CSIR UGC NET is conducted for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Lectureship (LS), and Assistant Professor positions in Indian universities and colleges, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The Ministry of Education canceled the UGC-NET exam on the day after it was held, citing concerns about the "potential compromise of the exam's integrity".
"On June 19, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) received certain information from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the Examination. This information suggests that the integrity of the said examination may have been compromised," the Ministry of Education stated in a release.
The decision to cancel the UGC-NET exams has caused widespread discontent among students, with many alleging irregularities in the exams conducted by the NTA.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has come under fire for the irregularities in NEET and the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, announced the formation of a high-level committee.
Mr Pradhan said when the UGC chairman received information from the cyber crime team in the home ministry about questions being on the darknet, tallying was done with the original paper and an immediate decision was taken to hold a CBI investigation. It was also decided to cancel the exam after it was established that its integrity had been compromised.