SC declines plea against govt’s decision to cancel UGC-NET exam, says it will add to “uncertainty and utter chaos”

New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with Centre’s decision to cancel the UGC-NET 2024 exam due to alleged paper leaks, saying it would add to “uncertainty” and “utter chaos.”

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took into note that the exam to be conducted afresh on August 21.

“Exam was held on June 18 and exam was cancelled on June 19. Exam is now scheduled on August 21 and plea challenges the cancellation of the exam and now two months have elapsed. Entertaining the plea at the present stage would only add to uncertainty and utter chaos,” said the bench.

The bench further said that nine lakh candidates will appear for the exam on August 21 and thus at this late stage, cancellation cannot be challenged.

The top court said that the students appearing for the exam must have some kind of “certainty now.”

It said the Central government must be “doubly cautious after the NEET-UG fiasco and thus it was cancelled. Let this process go on now.”

The top court was hearing plea filed by a group of candidates challenging the decision taken by the authorities to cancel the UGC-NET exam held on June 18 and to hold a re-test on August 21.

The Centre on June 19 had cancelled the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) following alleged question paper leak referred the matter to the CBI for investigation.

Earlier, the apex court had dismissed a PIL filed by a lawyer seeking direction to immediately stay the re-examination of the UGC-NET exam until the CBI completes its inquiry into the paper leak allegations.

The exam for UGC-NET determines the eligibility of candidates to pursue research opportunities, including Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF).