'Did not receive any complaint about UGC-NET exam': Education ministry says cancelled exam as proactive action

NEW DELHI: The education ministry official on Thursday said that they did not receive any complaints regarding the UGC-NET exam a day after its cancellation. However, they took a suo motu action based on the inputs available to them in order to protect the interests of the students.
Govind Jaiswal, the joint secretary of the education ministry, mentioned that the specifics of the inputs cannot be disclosed as the matter is currently under investigation by the CBI.
Addressing the issue of cancellation, Jaiswal said, "No complaints were received but the inputs we received from agencies indicated that the integrity of the exam has been compromised. The action was taken suo motu to safeguard interests of the students."
The ministry informed that the CBI will now look into the circumstances surrounding the potential breach and take appropriate action to ensure the integrity of future examinations.
"9 lakh students had participated in the UGC-NET exam that the NTA conducted on June 18. The ministry saw that there was a chance that the examination had been compromised. The ministry has decided to cancel the examination. The next date will be declared soon. The matter has been referred to the CBI," Jaiswal added.
He also informed the reporters that a new date for the exam will be announced in the near future.
The decision to cancel the UGC-NET, which was conducted by the National Testing Agency, was made by the ministry on Wednesday after receiving information that the integrity of the examination might have been compromised.
This decision comes amidst a significant controversy surrounding the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam, NEET, which is currently being addressed by the Supreme Court.