UGC-NET cancellation: Telegram was the epicenter of the leak, the paper was on sale between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000

The June 2024 UGC-NET exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), was canceled on Wednesday due to fears of paper leakage. Sources told News18 that a routine entry, which included initial details of the analysis carried out by the Home Ministry’s I4C, triggered the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam.

According to high-level sources, the information contained details of the leaks, links, a brief and screenshots, including an example of a leaked document which was later compared by the Ministry of Education with other details. Sources also told News18 that I4C officials found out that the exam paper was being sold for Rs 5,000 on Telegram and asked the Education Ministry to act accordingly.

According to the sources, the comments mentioned compromising the integrity of the exam, with the exam paper being available on Telegram before the test was taken. Sources also said that authorities had traced a group where the paper was selling at Rs 10,000. Sources added that the paper was available to different groups a few days before the exam day.

The entry contains details of groups whose topic mentions the NET leak. According to the sources, Telegram became the epicenter of the leak, with several groups created to maximize profits through advertising. Several links were provided to the Department of Education where the newspaper was sold.

Although it is not yet clear where the Telegram group admins got the document from, it is expected to have come from the Dark Web, sources said.

“Officials became aware of Telegram groups where the NET newspaper was sold. During initial analysis, social media apps showed messages from the leaked NET log circulating from these groups. A report has been prepared and sent to the Ministry of Education,” a senior official close to the situation told News18.

Asked about the nature of this information, the official said: “Every day we receive information about leaks and attacks, which prompts us to request action from the relevant agencies, departments or ministries. Likewise, our team noticed that the NET newspaper was on sale. It was a routine entry with initial details such as links to groups and screenshots,” the official added.

The cancellation of NET came amid a major controversy over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam, with the matter now reaching the Supreme Court. The Union education ministry on Wednesday evening ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET following concerns that the integrity of the exam had been compromised and referred the matter to the CBI for investigation .

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