Supreme Court Upholds Cancellation of UGC-NET 2024 Amid Alleged Paper Leaks

The Supreme Court has supported the Centre's decision to cancel UGC-NET 2024 due to paper leaks, citing potential chaos and uncertainty. The re-exam is scheduled for August 21, with nine lakh candidates set to appear. The court emphasized the need for certainty and adherence to the new date.

The Supreme Court on Monday endorsed the Centre's decision to cancel the UGC-NET 2024 exam amid allegations of paper leaks, stating that intervention would lead to "uncertainty" and "chaos." Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, highlighted that holding up the new schedule would be detrimental.

The court observed that the exam, initially held on June 18, was canceled the following day, and a re-test is now set for August 21. The bench emphasized that challenging the cancellation at this point would only lead to further uncertainty. "Entertaining the plea at the present stage would only add to uncertainty and utter chaos," the bench noted, pointing out the impending participation of nine lakh candidates.

The top court asserted that it was crucial for students to have some "certainty" and pointed out the Central government’s increased caution following the NEET-UG fiasco. The exam, determining eligibility for research opportunities, including the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF), will proceed on August 21 as rescheduled.

The court's decision follows a plea from candidates challenging the exam cancellation, a move initially taken on June 19 due to a suspected question paper leak, prompting a CBI investigation. Previously, the apex court had dismissed a PIL seeking to halt the re-exam until the CBI concluded its inquiry.