Plea in SC seeks stay on re-examination of UGC-NET after it was cancelled

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Union education ministry to cancel the UGC-NET test following inputs that the exam's integrity may have been compromised.

The ministry on June 19 had ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam and handed over the matter to the CBI for an investigation.

The plea is scheduled to come up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra

The plea filed by advocate Ujjawal Gaur has sought direction to immediately stay the proposed re-examination of the UGC-NET exam until the CBI completes its inquiry into the paper leak allegations.

"The petitioner asserts that the decision is not only arbitrary but also unjust, given the recent findings of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The CBI's investigation brings the fact that the evidence suggesting the paper leak is doctored, thus nullifying the grounds on which the cancellation was based," the plea filed through advocate Rohit Pandey said.

The petitioner submitted that the "unwarranted" cancellation of the exam has caused significant distress, anxiety, and an unnecessary expenditure of resources for the aspirants who have rigorously prepared for this crucial examination.

"The decision has disrupted the academic and professional plans of countless students, undermining their trust in the examination system. The petitioner argues that the cancellation, premised on falsified evidence, is a gross miscarriage of justice. It violates the fundamental principles of fairness and equity enshrined in the Constitution of India.

"The arbitrary nature of this decision reflects a lack of due diligence and disregard for the welfare of the primary stakeholders - the students. Adding to the arbitrariness of the decision is the fact that the NTA has issued new dates for the NET exam, scheduled for August 2024, despite the ongoing inquiry not being completed," the pea said.

The plea has sought directions to the CBI to expedite the inquiry into the UGC-NET exam paper leak allegations and submit a detailed report.

"Direct the respondents to provide detailed documentation and evidence supporting the decision to cancel the UGC-NET exam, including specifics on the alleged paper leak and the methodology used to determine the leak on the dark web," the plea said.

In a shift from earlier practice, the National Eligibility Test (NET) was conducted in pen-and-paper mode this time on a single day -- June 18 -- with a record 11 lakh students registering for the exam.

UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for the award of junior research fellowship, for appointment as assistant professors and admission to PhD in Indian universities and colleges.