Opposition Slams NTA Over UGC-NET Cancellation, Questions Government's Role

Opposition leaders criticized the National Testing Agency following the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, accusing it and the Union government of harming students' futures. The cancellation occurred after inputs from cyber crime units raised concerns. Leaders from TMC, CPI(M), and RJD voiced their discontent, calling for accountability and ministerial resignations.

Opposition leaders launched a fierce attack on the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday, following the abrupt cancellation of the UGC-NET exam. They accused the NTA and the Union government of jeopardizing the future of students who appeared for the exam.

The cancellation, which came a day after the exam was conducted, was based on inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale stated that the examination process in the country has collapsed and accused the NTA of being complicit. He pointed to recent exam issues like the NEET and demanded accountability from government ministers.

''The examination process structure of our country has crashed. Paper leaks and irregularities are rampant and the useless NTA is complicit in it,'' Gokhale said in a post on X.

''After the NEET fiasco, the UGC-NET has now been cancelled—literally one day after students wrote the exam. The lives and futures of our students are being destroyed every day and the NDA 1.0 government is shameless to even take responsibility,'' he added.

He demanded the removal of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, accusing them of incompetence.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) also criticized the government for making a mockery of the education system. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha called for the cancellation of the NEET exam as well, citing ample proof of compromise.

UGC-NET determines eligibility for junior research fellowships, assistant professor appointments, and PhD admissions in Indian universities and colleges. The decision to cancel the exam has added to the ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET exam, now before the Supreme Court.