The cancellation of UGC-Net stirs up a hornet’s nest

New Delhi, June 20, 2024, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, June 20: The cancellation of the UGC-NET conducted by the National Testing Agency on the basis of reports that the integrity of the exam may have been compromised has stirred the hornet’s nest with opposition in anger on Thursday, criticizing the agency as well as the Union government for “destroying the future of students who were appearing for these exams”.

UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for the award of Junior Research Fellowship, appointment as Assistant Professors and admission to PhD in Indian Universities and Colleges.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Center over alleged irregularities in NEET and cancellation of UGC-NET and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “psychologically collapsed” after the elections and that he would have difficulty leading a government like this.

Addressing a press conference here, he also said that the main reason for paper leaks is that educational institutions have been captured by the BJP and its parent organization RSS and paper leaks will not stop unless it is reversed.

Taking a dig at Modi, Gandhi said, “Prime Minister Modi was said to have stopped the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Gaza war, but either he is not able to stop the leaked exam papers, or he doesn’t want to do it. » He claimed that during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, thousands of people complained of paper leakage.

His remarks come against the backdrop of a massive row that has erupted over the NEET medical entrance exam due to alleged irregularities, with the issue now reaching the Supreme Court. The Union education ministry on Wednesday evening ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET following reports that the integrity of the exam may have been compromised, and referred the matter to the CBI for investigation.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has hit out at the central government over the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, saying the paper mafia was “rigging the exams” during the BJP regime. “Under the BJP regime, the paper mafia is rigging all the exams, one after the other. This could also be a big conspiracy of someone against the country,” Yadav accused on X.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged the Center to take immediate steps to resolve the crisis in the National Testing Agency (NTA), saying its “repeated incompetence” in conducting exams such that NEET and UGC-NET could not be accepted.

“The NEET controversy has barely subsided and the Ministry of Education has now announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET, citing compromised integrity of the exams. This repeated incompetence is unacceptable, leaving students in the lurch ‘uncertainty and wasting public money,’ the chief minister said. an article on ‘X’.

NCP (SP) chief Supriya Sule has demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) medical entrance test and other examinations. “The government is insensitive to the problems of farmers, women and students. Frequent irregularities in NEET, talathi and now UGC (NET) exams are taking place. Despite the advancement in technology, why are frequent problems occurring do they produce? Form an SIT to investigate these irregularities,” said the Baramati MP.

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale said the examination process in the country had failed and the lives of students were being destroyed. He accused the NTA of being complicit.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said the NEET exam should also be cancelled. “You had to take down NET and you have to take down NEET now because there is a lot of evidence that this exam has been compromised. And it’s time to recognize that NTA is a fraud,” he said.

Meanwhile, students of different universities and members of various student groups protested in the national capital against the cancellation of UGC-NET exam and irregularities in NEET. Several of them were arrested outside the Education Ministry as well as the residence of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in central Delhi.

The students who participated in the protest mostly belonged to political outfits such as the All India Students’ Federation (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Democratic Students Front (DSF), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan ( KYS) and NSUI supported by Congress.

Similar protests organized by members of different student groups took place in Lucknow, in front of Lucknow University.