SC dismisses plea challenging cancellation of UGC-NET exam, allows re-test

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test and the decision to hold a re-test on August 21, reported Live Law.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted that the examination had already been rescheduled and the court's interference would add to uncertainty and chaos.

The Centre on June 19 cancelled the University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test, conducted for the post of assistant professor in universities and colleges, saying that the integrity of the examination “may have been compromised”.

The exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency on June 18 in an Optical Mark Recognition, or OMR format, with the option of pen and paper mode in two shifts across the country.

The petitioners moved the Supreme Court contending that the Central Bureau of Investigation had found last month that the evidence suggesting a paper leak was fake, reported Live Law.

This raises questions on the reasonability for cancelling the exam, the plea said. The cancellation has caused stress and wasted resources for many students who had prepared for the test, the petitioners argued.

However, the bench said on Monday that the Centre was more cautious after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test controversy pertaining to an alleged paper leak, reported Bar and Bench.

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

The bench noted that over nine lakh students are taking part in the exam and only 47 petitioners have challenged it.

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