The UGC-NET exam paper, held on Tuesday, was leaked 48 hours prior on Sunday and sold on the dark web and encrypted social media platforms for Rs 6 lakh, according to sources from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Education Ministry, already under fire for issues related to the NEET-UG test, promptly voided the NET exam, citing input from a federal anti-cybercrime unit.
The source of the leak remains unidentified, and the CBI is collaborating with the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting competitive exams, to investigate. The involvement of coaching centres, which thousands of aspirants attend at great expense, is also under scrutiny, with CBI officers planning visits to some centres in various states.
On Thursday, the CBI filed its first information report (FIR) against unidentified persons based on the ministry’s complaint, which indicated that “the integrity of the examination may have been compromised.” Following the cancellation of the UGC-NET, authorities suspect a large-scale corruption racket behind the leaked papers, prompting a probe into the officials responsible for conducting the exam, including those who set the question papers.
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In response to the leak, students protested across university campuses nationwide, claiming they had reported the leaks days before the exam, but no action was taken. At Lucknow University, students reported that a leaked paper was available for Rs 5,000 and circulated via WhatsApp and Telegram groups since June 16. The UGC-NET, a qualifying exam for professorial posts in colleges and universities, saw over 11 lakh students registered this year.
The NET controversy adds to the ongoing NEET-UG row, where allegations of leaked question papers, grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates, and an unusually high number of perfect scores have sparked protests and petitions currently being heard by the Supreme Court. In the NEET case, four individuals, including Anurag Yadav, a candidate, have been arrested in Bihar. Yadav, who prepared at a coaching center in Rajasthan’s Kota, revealed that his uncle, Sikandar Yadavendu, assured him that his result had been “sorted.”
In response to these examination scandals, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the formation of a high-level committee to ensure transparency and protect student interests. He emphasized the government’s commitment to these principles.
The controversies have ignited a political blame game between the ruling BJP and the Congress-led opposition, especially in Bihar. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha of the BJP accused opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD of links to the accused, a charge the RJD has denied, accusing the BJP of diverting attention from its failures.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Trinamool’s Saket Gokhale have all criticized the BJP over the examination issues.
