 "Now CSIR-NET under scanner: What is the exam and why has it been postponed?")
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is currently embroiled in multiple controversies.
On Friday, the agency issued a notification postponing the CSIR UGC-NET examination due to “unavoidable circumstances” and “logistical issues.”
The development comes two days after the Education Ministry cancelled the UGC-NET exam as the paper was leaked on Darknet.
Moreover, at the same time, the NTA is facing allegations of irregularities in the medical entrance examination NEET .
The CSIR UGC-NET exam cancelled
Issuing a statement on 21 June, the NTA said, “The candidates are hereby informed that the Joint CSIR-UGC-NET Examination June-2024 which was scheduled to be held between 25 June 2024 to 27 June 2024 is being postponed due to unavoidable circumstances as well as logistic issues.”
“The revised schedule for the conduct of this examination will be announced later through the official website,” it added.
The CSIR-UGC NET exam has been cancelled “as a matter of abundant precaution,” according to a report by The Indian Express.
The Education Minister reportedly received information about some rumours circulating on a messaging app that the CSIR-UGC NET paper had been leaked on the darkweb on Friday.
However, the ministry had not received any input along these lines from the Home Minister or 14C (MHA’s centre for fighting cybercrime), unlike in the case of UGC-NET.
The report states that the move comes after UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba engaged in a series of lengthy discussions led by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIt is pertinent to mention here that on the same day, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024, a new anti-paper leak law that was passed by Parliament in February, was notified to the Centre by the Department of Personnel and Training.
The newspaper’s sources said that the exam must be rescheduled to make sure there is no possibility of doubting the paper’s integrity.
The NTA has now been requested to conduct the exam after setting up a new question paper.
About the exam
The Joint Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) UGC-NET is a biannual exam held in June and December.
According to the UGC’s eligibility requirements, the exam acts as a qualifying test to determine an Indian national’s eligibility for Junior Research Fellowships (JRF), Assistant Professor jobs, and PhD admissions, according to The Hindu.
The official website of Joint CSR UGC NET states, “CSIR covers a wide spectrum of Science and Technology – from oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering and information technology.”
It offers significant advances in technology in several societal endeavour areas, such as energy, food, housing, agriculture, health, drinking water, environment, and non-farm sections.
CSIR-UGC NET is recognised by esteemed establishments such as the Indian Institute of Science and even the IITs as a qualifying qualification for PhD applications.
On the other hand, the UGC-NET is a requirement for admission to PhD programmes and for securing positions as entry-level teachers in higher education across all subject areas except the sciences.
There are three parts of the CSIR-NET exam.
General aptitude questions make up Part A, while questions based on the candidates’ chosen disciplines from chemical science, earth science, life sciences, mathematical science, and physical science comprise Parts B and C.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has entrusted the National Testing Agency (NTA) with the task of conducting the Joint CSIR-UGC NET exam.
Almost two lakh students were anticipated to take the exam this year, media reports say.
UGC-NET cancelled
The central government ordered the UGC-NET exam cancellation on 19 June over concerns regarding the exam’s “integrity.”
On 20 June, the Union Education Ministry handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation.
The administration believes the exam has been tampered with, according to Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary of the Education Ministry, as per the Indian Express.
“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 the interest of the students,” Jaiswal added.
In the UGC-NET exam paper leak case, the CBI filed a formal complaint on the same day, alleging criminal conspiracy and cheating. Depending on how the matter is investigated further, more sections might be added.
The NEET row
Several irregularities were discovered in this year’s NEET-UG exam, which took place on 5 May, and almost 2.4 million candidates applied for undergraduate medical seats.
The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, paves the way for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
Results were made public 10 days ahead of time, amidst rumours of leaks and erroneous grace mark distributions that affected more than 1,500 students.
Six of the 67 students who achieved a perfect score of 720/720 are from the same Haryana centre.
Numerous students are uncertain about their chances of obtaining a medical college seat due to the high cut-off this time.
Bihar Police have arrested 13 people, including four candidates who took the NEET, as well as their parents and members of an organized gang that allegedly gathered 35 candidates before the exam at a school under the jurisdiction of Ramakrishna Nagar police station and conducted a mock exam.
In addition to causing a public outcry, the issue has gained political traction as Opposition parties blame the government for corruption and negligence. BJP-ruled states have come under fire from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who referred to them as the “epicentre of paper leaks.”
Although the Union government was initially defensive on Thursday, Pradhan, for the first time, acknowledged that there have been “some errors limited to specific regions,” referring to Bihar’s investigation into allegations of a paper leak. He also took “moral responsibility” for the loss of faith among youth and students.
He announced that the government would decide on the fate of the NEET-UG 2024 exam after receiving Bihar Police’s final report on the status of its investigation.
With inputs from agencies
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