Hard work wasted, need compensation: UGC NET candidates wary of re-examination

Education Ministry officials said no complaints were received about the exam but a suo motu action was taken based on inputs available to them to protect students' interest. (Illustration by Suneesh Kalarickal)

“It hurts that our years of hard work, effort and sleepless nights have gone in vain. It is even more disappointing because the exam was comparatively simpler than last time and I was better prepared,” Sachin Kumar, 28, told Moneycontrol on the cancellation of the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) on June 19, 2024.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the exam just one day after it took place on June 18, saying that the "integrity of the examination has been compromised". It has also ordered a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into the matter.

UGC NET was conducted for the award of a Junior Research Fellowship, appointment as Assistant Professor, and admission to PhD. The exam was conducted in two different shifts across 1,205 centres in 317 cities nationwide, with participation from over 11 lakh candidates.

In a departure from the earlier practice, the NET exam was conducted in pen-and-paper mode this time, on a single day. Education Ministry officials said no complaints were received about the exam but a suo motu action was taken based on inputs available to them to protect students' interests.

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However, the cancellation of the examination amid the controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET UG 2024 has caused students to raise questions about the ability of NTA to conduct large-scale examinations. They also demanded appropriate compensation apart from a swift do-over of the examination.

“Even though the decision-makers may have had valid reasons to cancel the exam, it shows administrative errors causing inconvenience to the students. Although there were advantages in conducting the exam offline this time, travelling long distances in the summer heat to appear for the exam was difficult,” said Sonipat-based Kumar, who will now focus on research techniques and exploring opportunities in other related fields.

Similarly, New Delhi-based Ishika Valecha, 23, took a leave from her job to focus on her studies. “Now, I'm left with no income and no clear idea about what to do next. Many students are in the same situation. We trusted the system and put our faith in it, but it seems like they didn't care about our future,” Valecha said, adding that she is yet to come up with an alternative plan.

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“UGC should provide some compensation or relief to students who had prepared extensively for the exam. As students, we're not asking for much; we just want an opportunity to showcase our skills and knowledge,” she added.

‘No hope’

The cancellation has left students thinking there is no guarantee the NTA will be able to re-conduct the UGC NET transparently and seamlessly.

“The right to education is a fundamental right given to us by our constitution. If cancellations and paper leaks continue to happen under any governmental establishment, it is not at all a sign of a healthy democracy….I am unfortunately forced to delay my PhD and higher education targets till the time this gets resolved,” said 27-year-old Shivam Bajaj.

Looking at the pile of cases with the authorities, Bajaj said it will take time to resolve the matter. “I hope the government refunds the application fees to students; this will not make us feel good, but at least it will help us recover some financial losses,” he added.

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"Paper cancellation, paper leaks etc have been so common in the last few years. The only recourse the government takes is to reschedule the examination without realising how painful it is for students. It demoralises us towards competitive examinations conducted by the government,” said Indore-based Sutapa, 24.

NEET aspirants moved court to challenge the results released by the NTA, which later opened a Pandora’s box. However, legal experts say this is unlikely to happen in the case of UGC NET.

“Since the alleged compromise is due to a cyber-related threat and the exam has just been conducted and results awaited, there are possibilities that students may not challenge it—the re-examination can happen without delay and additional preparation,” said Gauhar Mirza, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, a law firm.

Mirza said the only recourse before NTA under these circumstances is to avoid such incidents with better safeguards and conduct the exam at the earliest.

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