NTA announces fresh exam dates for UGC-NET, other exams

Amid a raging row over alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) Friday night, 28 June released fresh dates for cancelled and postponed examinations, announcing the UGC-NET will now be held from 21 August- 4 September.

The University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) was cancelled a day after being conducted on 18 June as the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said the question paper was leaked on the darknet and circulated on the Telegram app. The matter is being probed by the CBI.

The UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility for the award of Junior Research Fellowship, for appointment of assistant professors and admission to PhD courses.

In a shift from the earlier pattern, the exam was conducted in offline mode this year and on a single day. However, the rescheduled exam will be conducted according to the earlier pattern of Computer Based Test (CBT) spread across a fortnight.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) UGC-NET, which was postponed as a preemptive measure amid the row over alleged irregularities in the conduct of exams, will now be held from 25 July-27 July.

The CSIR UGC-NET is accepted for PhD admissions in Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

The National Common Entrance Test (NCET) for admission to the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), which was postponed hours before its scheduled commencement on 12 June, will now be conducted on 10 July.

The test is held for select central and state universities or institutions, including IITs, NITs, RIEs, and government colleges.

In the line of fire over the alleged irregularities in medical entrance examination NEET-UG and PhD entrance NET, the Centre had last week notified a panel to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA.

While the NEET is under scanner over several alleged irregularities, including paper leak, the UGC-NET was cancelled as the ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised.

Two other exams -- CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG -- were cancelled as a preemptive step.