SC rejects UGC-NET cancellation plea, cites chaos

The Supreme Court of India refused to intervene in the Centre’s decision to cancel the UGC-NET 2024 exam, citing concerns that doing so would lead to further “uncertainty” and “utter chaos.” The court’s bench, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that the exam, originally held on June 18 and canceled the following day, is now scheduled to be rescheduled for August 21.

The bench highlighted that the cancellation and rescheduling of the exam had been decided two months prior, and at this point, entertaining the plea against the cancellation would only exacerbate the situation. The Court emphasized the need for candidates to have some degree of “certainty” regarding the exam process. With approximately nine lakh candidates set to appear for the re-scheduled exam on August 21, the Court ruled that further challenges at this stage were impractical.

The Centre’s decision to cancel the exam was made in response to allegations of a question paper leak, and the matter was referred to the CBI for investigation. The Supreme Court had previously dismissed a PIL filed by a lawyer seeking an immediate stay on the re-examination until the CBI’s inquiry into the leak allegations was complete.

The UGC-NET exam is crucial for determining eligibility for research opportunities, including the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF). The Supreme Court’s ruling underscores the importance of proceeding with the re-examination to avoid further disruption and to provide clarity for the candidates involved.