UGC-NET 2024 Row: Evidence Suggesting ‘Paper Leak’ Was Doctored, Reveals CBI Probe

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive exams, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the alleged University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) paper leak has found that the "evidence" which indicated that “integrity of the exam was compromised” and prompted the government to cancel the exam on June 19 was doctored, according to media reports.

The exam was cancelled a day after over 9 lakh candidates took the exam across 317 cities. The exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country. 

The education ministry had received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had alleged the exam paper was leaked on the darknet and circulated on the Telegram app. 

The UGC-NET exam is the key to finding an entry-level teaching job in Indian universities and also for admissions to PhD programmes. 

The "evidence" was a screenshot of a UGC-NET exam paper which was leaked on a Telegram channel at around 2pm on the exam day (June 18), with messages and comments suggesting it was leaked before the first session.

As per media reports, the probe agency has found that the question paper screenshot which circulated on Telegram on exam day (June 18), was doctored to give an impression that it was available before the examination. It has come to light that the said image was leaked by “scamsters”, with the help of a candidate, at around 2pm, after the first session of the exam concluded.

What is UGC-NET Row?

According to sources, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and was allegedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms. 

"To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to cancel the aforesaid examination and to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a thorough investigation in the matter," the reference note from the Secretary, Education Ministry, K Sanjay Murthy had said. 

The CBI had filed an FIR in the case on June 20. The FIR was registered against unidentified persons on a reference from the Union Education Ministry. The reference note was made a part of the FIR. 

So far no arrests have been made in the case. 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.