Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET exam, the Ministry of Education has announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, administered by the National Testing Agency, just one day after it was held. The exam, taken by over 9 lakh candidates, is crucial for those seeking Assistant Professor positions in universities and colleges, as well as for determining eligibility for junior research fellowships.

The Education Ministry stated that the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) for June, which took place on Tuesday in a pen-and-paper format, was conducted in two shifts nationwide.

"On 19th June, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) received certain inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the examination. These inputs suggest that the integrity of the exam may have been compromised," the statement read.

To maintain the highest standards of transparency and sanctity, the Ministry has decided to cancel the June 2024 UGC-NET exam. A new date for the examination will be announced in due course. Although there have been reports of a paper leak, the Ministry has not confirmed these claims, stating only that the issue has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation for further inquiry.

The UGC-NET is typically held twice a year, in June and December. On Tuesday, UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar had posted on X, detailing the successful completion of the UGC-NET June 2024 exam, which aims to determine candidates' eligibility for Junior Research Fellowships and Assistant Professor positions, as well as for Ph.D. admissions. The exam was conducted in OMR format in two shifts, from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, across 1,205 exam centers in 317 cities, with an 81% attendance rate among the 11,21,225 registered candidates. He also extended his best wishes to all participants.