New Delhi:

The National Testing Agency (NTA) postponed at least 16 exams due to different reasons since its inception in 2018, the Ministry of Education informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The reasons for postponement included the COVID-19 pandemic, administrative reasons, logistical reasons, and technical issues.

The information was shared by Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar in response to a written question in Lok Sabha asked by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.

“Since its inception in 2018, NTA has successfully conducted over 240 examinations involving over 5.4 crore students.

“Since most of the examinations conducted by NTA are held in multiple-subjects, multiple-shifts and span over a number of days, there have been instances due to unforeseen circumstances like COVID-19 pandemic, logistical and technical issues, administrative issues, legal orders etc, when examination dates initially notified in respect of specific subjects or shifts could not be adhered to,” the Minister said.

According to the data shared by the minister, four exams — JEE-Main (2020), NEET-UG (2020), JEE-Main (2021) and NEET-UG (2021) — were postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

CSIR UGC-NET (2020), UGC-NET (December 2020), UGC-NET (May 2021), and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) AIEEA (2020) were postponed due to “COVID-19 pandemic and logistical challenges”.

Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) 2020 for admission to UG, PG-MPhil, and PhD courses was postponed as the registration process was put on hold by DU due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)-2021 was postponed due to the revision of the examination pattern by the AICTE.

All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET), 2021, and the Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT), 2021, were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

IGNOU PhD Entrance was postponed in 2022 due to administrative reasons.

Graduate Aptitude Test Biotechnology (GAT-B), 2023 was postponed as per consultation with regional centres for biotechnology.

In 2024, the National Common Entrance Test (NCET), 2024 was postponed due to technical issues, and CSIR-NET, 2024 due to logistic issues.

“NTA has started declaration of examination calendar of major examinations, much in advance for the facilitation of candidates. The examination calendar is planned taking into consideration, buffer days to accommodate for reschedules and postponements for reasons beyond the control of NTA,” the minister said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

NEET-UG exam results are to be published in their entirety – cross-referenced by city and centre – by noon Saturday, the Supreme Court told the National Testing Agency – which is under-fire over allegations of leaked question papers and violation of marking protocol – on Thursday afternoon.

The identities of the students will, however, remain masked, the court instructed the NTA.

The court’s order followed a day of intense arguments over a clutch of petitions seeking a repeat, or cancellation, of the qualifying examination for undergraduate medical courses in the country. The original exam – attended by nearly 24 lakh aspiring medical professionals – was held on May 5.

The results were published last month but students could only access their individual scores.

The order to publish followed a plea by the petitioners. They argued that making the scores public would increase public confidence in the NTA. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the exam agency, opposed the request on grounds the test results were students’ private property.

“Entire results are never published… they are the personal property of students,” Mr Mehta reasoned, but the court seemed unimpressed, stating, “We the NTA to publish marks obtained by students in NEET-UG 2024 exam, while ensuring the identity of each student is masked.”

The order to breakdown these results by city and centre was also opposed by the NTA.

The three-member bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud overruled this point too.

“…the fact is there was a leak in Patna (in Bihar) and Hazairbagh (in Jharkhand). Question papers were disseminated. We want to find out if this was confined to those centres or widespread…”

“Students are at a handicap because they do not know the results. We want the students’ identity to be masked…. but let us see, centre-wise, what was the mark pattern…” the court explained.

The court, however, was unwilling to defer counselling for selected students.

Counselling, i.e., assigning selected students to medical colleges, is expected to begin Monday.

New Delhi:

Facing protests in several parts of the country as well as attacks from the opposition, the Centre has removed the chief of the National Testing Agency (NTA) from his post amid the controversy over the alleged irregularities in NEET and the cancellation of the UGC-NET Exam.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Personnel announced that Subodh Kumar Singh, who was the director general of the NTA, has been replaced by retired Indian Administration Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Singh Kharola. Mr Kharola is the Chairman and Managing Editor of the India Trade Promotion Organisation and has been given additional charge as the Director General of the NTA “till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders”.

The move comes hours after the government constituted a committee which will give recommendations to improve the functioning of the agency and a day before around 1,500 students who had been given grace marks for NEET will take a retest. The CSIR UGC NET exam – scheduled to be held from June 25 to June 27 – also had to be postponed due to “logistical reasons” on Friday. 
 

New Delhi:

The CBI registered an FIR into the UGC-NET paper leak case on Thursday against unidentified persons on a reference from the Union Education Ministry, officials said.

The UGC-NET, 2024, exam for the selection of junior research fellows, assistant professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country.

The next day, the University Grants Commission received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and was allegedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms, sources said.

They said the CBI will work in close coordination with the I4C while initiating its own darknet exploration softwares and systems to nail down the perpetrators.

According to the complaint from the Education Ministry, the inputs from I4C, which functions under the Union Home Ministry, “prima-facie indicate that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised”, officials said.

“To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to cancel the aforesaid examination and to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a thorough investigation in the matter,” the reference note from the Secretary, Education Ministry, K Sanjay Murthy said.

The reference note is now part of the FIR.

The facts of the complaint prima facie disclose the commission of offences punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown accused, the FIR stated.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Even as the controversy over NEET threatens to reach a boiling point, the Ministry of Education has has cancelled the UGC-NET exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency, just a day after it was held. Over 9 lakh candidates had appeared for the exam, which is held for Assistant Professor posts in universities and colleges and to determine eligibility for junior research fellowships. 

The announcement triggered an immediate reaction from Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who called out the government for its “laxity” and demanded that accountability be fixed.

In a statement, the Education Ministry said the June exam of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) was conducted on Tuesday in OMR (pen and paper) mode in two shifts across the country.

“On 19th June, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) received certain inputs from National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs on the Examination. These inputs prima facie indicate that the integrity of the aforesaid examination may have been compromised,” it said. 

The ministry said it was announcing the cancellation of the June 2024 examination “to ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process” and that it will be held afresh at a date which will be shared later. 

There have been reports of the paper of the examination being leaked, but this was not confirmed by the ministry. It said only that the matter has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation for investigation. 

The UGC-NET is conducted twice every year, in June and December. 

On Tuesday, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar had posted on X, “Today, NTA has successfully conducted UGC – NET June 2024 for determining the eligible candidates for (i) ‘award of Junior Research Fellowship and appointment as Assistant Professor’, (ii) ‘appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D.’ and (iii) ‘admission to Ph.D. only’ in 83 subjects in OMR (Pen and Paper) mode in two (02) different shifts (09:30 AM to 12:30 Noon and 03:00 PM to 06:00 PM).”

“The examination has been conducted at 1,205 Exam Centres in 317 cities across the country for 11,21,225 candidates. Out of the total registered candidates, about 81% candidates appeared for the exam. Best wishes to all the candidates,” he had written.

NEET Row

Nearly 24 lakh students had appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 for undergraduate medical courses, which is also conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), on May 5. The results were announced on June 4, 10 days before schedule, but allegations of a question paper leak and grace marks to over 1,500 students triggered protests. Cases were also filed in courts, including the Supreme Court, which has come down heavily on the NTA.

On NEET, the ministry’s statement said, “The issue related to grace marks has already been fully addressed. As regards certain irregularities alleged in the conduct of the examination in Patna, a detailed report has been sought from the Economic Offences Unit, Bihar Police. Government will take further action, on receipt of this report.”

“Government is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students. It is reiterated that any individual/organisation found to be involved in this matter will face strictest action,” it added.

New Delhi:

Amid concerns about the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission into medical colleges, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan admitted “improvements are needed” in the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the nationwide exam for medical college aspirants. 

Speaking to news agency ANI, the minister assured action against NTA officials if they were found guilty of the “irregularities” in NEET 2024 (Undergraduate) exams.

“On the recommendations of the Supreme Court, the order has been given for retest of 1,563 candidates. Some irregularities have come to light in two places. I assure students and parents that the government has taken this seriously,” Dharmendra Pradhan told ANI.

“Even if the big officials of the NTA are found guilty, they will not be spared. A lot of improvement is required in NTA. The government is concerned about this, no culprit will be spared, they will get the harshest punishment,” he said.

Last week, the NTA told the Supreme Court that grace marks given to 1,563 candidates in the NEET-UG exam would be scrapped and the candidates had the option of taking the exam again on June 23. The results of the re-test will be declared before June 30, the top court was told.

If any of these candidates chose to not take the re-test, their earlier score would be reinstated without the extra marks.

Results for the medical entrance examination, which was taken by 24 lakh students on May 5, were declared on June 4. Allegations of an exam paper leak soon surfaced. As many as 67 students got a perfect score of 720/720.

Grace marks were given to several students allegedly to compensate for loss of time at the exam centre.

Many student organizations have protested over the alleged NEET irregularities, including wrong question papers being distributed, Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets being torn, or delays in the distribution of the sheets.

Amid opposition attacks over the exam row, the Education Minister had told NDTV that students and parents should not panic.

“Certain allegations and loose information are coming in. Let us wait for the probe by the authorities concerned. Let’s wait till July 8 for the Supreme Court’s judgment. There’s nothing to hide…” he told NDTV.