UGC NET Exam To Proceed As Scheduled, Supreme Court Rules

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Centre's decision to cancel the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) 2024 due to alleged paper leaks, stating that interfering with the decision would create "uncertainty" and "utter chaos."

The UGC-NET exam, which was initially held on June 18, was cancelled on June 19 and is now rescheduled for August 21 to September 2024. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the exam in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode for 83 subjects across different cities.

The court also stated that 9 lakh candidates will appear for the exam on August 21, and cancellation at this late stage cannot be challenged. The top court emphasised that students appearing for the exam must have some form of "certainty now."

The Centre's decision to cancel the exam was warranted, given the NEET-UG fiasco, and the court stated that the government must be doubly cautious.

The UGC-NET exam determines the eligibility of candidates to pursue research opportunities, including Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF).

Candidates can access their exam city slip on the official website, and the admit card will be issued later. The NTA has advised candidates to visit their website for the latest updates.