New Delhi: UGC-NET exam was cancelled by Education Ministry which was conducted by the National Testing Agency on Wednesday. The Education Ministry orders the cancellation of UGC-NET exam and handed over the matter to the CBI for a thorough investigation.

According to the official sources, the decision by the Ministry comes amid a massive row on the medical entrance exam NEET over alleged irregularities, with the issue now before the Supreme Court.

In a shift from earlier practice, the NET was conducted in pen and paper mode this time on a single day i.e., June 18^th, with a record 11 lakh students registering for the exam.

A fresh examination shall be conducted, for which information shall be shared separately, Ministry of Education official said. UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for the award of junior research fellowships, appointments as assistant professors, and admission to PhD in Indian universities and colleges.

The UGC received certain inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the 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, the senior official said.

To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, it has been decided that the UGC-NET June 2024 examination be cancelled.

Soon after the cancellation of UGC-NET, the Congress on Wednesday dubbed the Modi government a paper leak government and asked whether the education minister would take responsibility now.