Foreign candidates handling parental duties and travel express dissatisfaction, ugc net, ugc net cancelled, paper leak, nta, controversies

With the news of the cancellation of UGC NET 2024, Kerala aspirants who were hoping to crack the National Eligibility Test (NET) and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) this year are dismayed. The question paper was allegedly leaked on the dark web and shared on platforms like Telegram, compromising the integrity of the exam. This has raised questions about the sanctity of the National Testing Agency (NTA) as this has happened while allegations regarding the NEET UG 2024 results are being widely discussed.

Some candidates were hopeful after comparing their answers to the answers published the next day. Some were confident of qualifying the exam, but their happiness was short-lived as the announcement of the cancellation of the exam came that evening. When the CBI announced that the questionnaire had been leaked, their dismay turned to shock. The future of nine lakh aspirants is at stake because of this.

Some students traveled more than three hours to the exam center and returned with the certainty of passing the exam. This joy was soon swept away by the news. One candidate used to save time studying for the exam by dropping her baby off at a daycare. After checking the answer key and being sure she would succeed in solving the coveted JRF, she thought she finally had an answer to give to those who questioned her maternal affections. The age limit for passing the JRF is another obstacle that this candidate is not sure of crossing because we do not know when the exam will take place, nor if she will be able to do as well as this time.

Another candidate, who is currently working abroad, took emergency leave and paid a large sum in travel expenses to appear for the exam. They did so in the hope of working as an assistant professor in their home country, but that now seems a distant dream as the chances of her traveling here again to attend the exam are now slim.

Arya, a teacher at a coaching institute, says the news had a psychological impact on those who took the exam after preparing for months or even years. Many do not want to return to school because it is difficult to recover from such a shock, she says.

Many final year PG students have taken this exam with a strong determination to pass it before completing their studies. They prepared alongside the demanding demands of their courses and projects. If the re-examination is scheduled during the semester exams, the chances of preparing and attempting the exam are low.

Candidates are upset that the NTA, which takes strict measures to prevent malpractices, did not realize that the question paper was leaked before the exam was conducted. They are demanding that the system be reformed to ensure these tests run smoothly in the future.