UGC-NET Cancellation: Candidates Decry Testing Agency's Double Failure

Candidates in the University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test were caught by surprise by the sudden cancellation of the June 2024 exam.

Held on Tuesday, the exam was scrapped by the centre following inputs received from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit, over concerns that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised. A retest was declared, the date of which is yet to be announced.

The exam was conducted in-person this year, a turn away from the usual online method in the past few years.

The cancellation has left several aspirants, who battled heatwaves and travel costs to appear for the exam, in a lurch.

Ever since the UGC-NET examination was taken over by the National Testing Agency from the Central Board of Secondary Education in 2018, the exam had been conducted through a computer-based (online) test to align with global standards. But this year, it was conducted offline.

Measures to ensure security in examination centres included removing jewellery, as no metal was allowed. Several people appearing for the exam had to put cello tape on jewellery that could not be removed, so they could enter the exam hall. Other restrictions included shoes, clothing with big buttons and slippers with big soles.

"They (students) are expected to follow all the rules and regulations to ensure security and discipline, but what about the failure on the part of organisers? What happens when they fail even after doing all this? They have to pay nothing," said Aditi*, one of the aspirants who had appeared for the exam. "It's so sickening that these kind of incidents are becoming so regular."

Sachin*, another UGC-NET aspirant, had to travel at 3 a.m. from his village on the day of the test to reach the examination centre. "I feel the NTA had no respect for our time. Would NTA be willing to reimburse all the money I spent and all the mental exhaustion that I’m facing right now?"

Over 11 lakh aspirants appeared for the UGC-NET exam, with many of them in the same boat as Sachin. Apart from the prep for the gruelling exam, commuting in the heatwave prevailing over various regions in India was another hurdle for aspirants.

"After sitting for 15 hours non-stop, with strained eyes and sleep deprivation, I had to appear for the exam in the sweltering 45-degree heat, without adequate facilities at the centre," said Tanya*, another aspirant. She questioned why the paper was conducted offline in the first place.

"I paid for the books, material, education, the exam form fees and the travelling cost I incurred to reach the centre in another city to write that exam and they have to pay nothing. I have to go through the mental and physical agony all over again, while all they do is sit in their AC chambers and write a small tweet about their concerns and efforts," said Aditi.

Aspirants are now stuck in another dilemma: the retest.

"Having an examination scrapped would mean that the candidates who were able to perform well in this attempt will have to reappear, which would jeopardise their chances of getting selected this time," said Mita*. The pattern of the examination would be unpredictable and the candidates whose performance was at par will face the consequences of NTA's failure, she said.

Then, there are also cases where people prepared for multiple competitive examinations, like state judicial and civil services.

"A lot of candidates appeared for Union Public Service Commission, which was conducted two days prior to this examination and will be appearing for the Rajasthan Judicial Services examination, which is scheduled to be conducted this weekend. Amid all this, NTA announcing a re-examination is just not fair for the candidates who are preparing for various examinations at this moment," said Ajay*.

Ajay qualified for the preliminaries of the Chhattisgarh Judicial Services examination and is currently preparing for the mains, which is scheduled to be conducted in the coming month. The retest adds another hurdle to these preparations.

The cancellation of the UGC-NET examination comes in the wake of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) controversy, where students were erroneously awarded grace marks, causing a nationwide uproar.

The NTA's multiple hurdles in ensuring such prominent national examinations are conducted smoothly have not gone unnoticed.

"If an agency is failing to conduct such crucial examinations properly, there is absolutely no other way but to abolish it completely. This is the second incident of failure of NTA in not more than 15 days," Mita said.

"It's all the more important in a country like India, where such exams decide eligibility and capacity of a person. A three-hour exam can make or break someone's career. With such uncertainty, what if I cannot clear the exam in my second attempt? Who knows how talented or capable I am, when it all depends on how I perform in those three hours," Aditi said.

(*Names changed on request)