NTA Announces New Exam Dates: Online Exams Scheduled from July 10 to September 4, Including UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, and NCET
On Friday, June 28th, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced new dates for the UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, and NCET examinations. These exams, initially scheduled for June, will now be conducted between July 10th and September 4th due to various reasons. Specifically, the NCET exam will be held starting from July 10th. UGC NET will take place between August 21st and September 4th, while CSIR-UGC NET will be conducted on July 25th and July 27th.
All these exams will be conducted online. Additionally, the All India AYUSH Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) 2024 is scheduled for July 6th.
Here are the instances when exams were postponed by NTA:
- CSIR UGC NET June 2024:
Originally scheduled between June 25th and June 27th, NTA postponed the exams due to a shortage of resources.
- UGC NET June 2024:
Initially planned for June 19th, the exam was postponed and rescheduled to June 18th, a day earlier, due to concerns over paper leaks.
- National Common Entrance Test (NCET) 2024:
Scheduled for June 12th, the NCET was postponed on the same day due to a paper leak.
Importance of These Exams
UGC NET:
The UGC NET exam is crucial for gaining admission to Ph.D. programs and for securing Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and Assistant Professor positions in universities across India. The exam scheduled for June 19th was canceled due to irregularities in input received from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Ministry of Education indicated that this decision was made to maintain the integrity of the examination process. Subsequently, the National Testing Agency (NTA) was instructed to cancel the exam, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been tasked with investigating the matter.
Originally, the exam covered 83 subjects and was conducted in 317 cities across the country, with over 1.121 million registered candidates. However, only 81% of them appeared for the exam. This year, the exam was conducted in a pen-and-paper format, as opposed to its previous online format.
CSIR NET:
The CSIR NET exam offers admission to Ph.D. programs in Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. Initially scheduled between June 25th and June 27th, the exam was postponed to June 21st due to resource constraints reported by the NTA. Over 200,000 students registered for this exam.
NCET:
The NCET exam is essential for admission to a 4-year Integrated Teacher Education Program offered by central and state universities and institutions, including IITs, NITs, Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs), and government colleges. Originally slated to begin on June 12th, the exam was postponed just hours before and is now rescheduled for July 10th.
Announcement of New Dates for UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, and NCET Exams
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced new dates for the UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, and NCET exams, which will be conducted online.
- UGC-NET: The UGC-NET exam will be held between August 21st and September 4th. Previously, this exam was conducted in a pen-and-paper format.
- CSIR-NET: The joint CSIR-UGC NET exam will take place from July 25th to July 27th. This exam was postponed by NTA on June 21st due to resource constraints. Originally scheduled for June 25th to June 27th, it was rescheduled after delaying the exam for a mock-up.
- NCET: The NCET exam, initially scheduled for June 12th, was postponed and is now scheduled for July 10th.
NTA had postponed the CSIR UGC NET exam on June 21st due to a lack of resources. The exam was originally scheduled to be held from June 25th to 27th. The reason for keeping the exam postponed was the lack of resources. At the same time, UGC NET was canceled on June 19th due to irregularities in the input of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
UGC-NET Exam Cancelled Due to Anomalies
The UGC-NET exam was cancelled due to concerns over irregularities in inputs received from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministry of Education stated that initially, it did not appear to demonstrate the authenticity needed to conduct the exam.
Subsequently, in order to ensure transparency in the examination process, the Ministry of Education directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to cancel it. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been assigned to investigate this case.
UGC-NET is an exam for admission to PhD programs, Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), and Assistant Professor posts in universities across the country.
UGC-NET Examination Conducted via Pen and Paper
The UGC-NET examination was conducted across 83 subjects through pen and paper mode. The exam took place in two shifts on the same day. The first shift was held from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, while the second shift took place from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
M. Jagdish Kumar, the Chief of UGC, announced that the exam was conducted in 317 cities across the country. Approximately 81% of the registered candidates, totaling around 11.21 lakh, appeared for the examination.
Previously, the UGC-NET exam was conducted as an online Computer Based Test (CBT). This change was implemented to ensure uniformity in conducting the exam across all subjects and centers. Additionally, examinations can now be conducted at various distant centers.
Controversy Surrounding NEET Examination Conducted by NTA
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been embroiled in controversy regarding the NEET UG 2024 examination. On June 11, the Supreme Court heard petitions from student Shivaangi Mishra and nine others. The announcement of results was scheduled to be filed by June 1. Candidates from Bihar and Rajasthan complained of irregularities in the distribution of question papers at exam centers and demanded the cancellation of the exam and an SIT investigation.
However, the Supreme Court refused to impose a stay on NEET counseling and issued a notice to NTA. The court raised questions about paper leaks, grading irregularities, and other discrepancies in NEET UG 2024. Justices Vikram Nath and A. Muhamed Mustaque stated that the integrity of the exam was at stake and demanded answers. The bench gave NTA four weeks to respond to the allegations.
CBI Arrests 5 in NEET Paper Leak Case
In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended five individuals in connection with the NEET paper leak case. On June 28, Manish Prakash and Ashutosh were arrested in Patna. Both were booked for arranging a place at a Play and Learn School in Patna where 20 to 25 candidates were provided with answers. Fragments of the leaked paper were also recovered from the scene.
On June 29, CBI arrested three more individuals from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. Among them were Oasis School’s principal Ehsan Ul Haq, vice principal Imtiyaz, and journalist Jamaluddin. This case has seen arrests made across 27 states in connection with paper leaks. In another incident, NSUI activists protested against the paper leak outside the NTA office in Delhi and attempted to enter the premises forcefully, leading to a confrontation with NTA security personnel.
NTA Seeks Feedback for Examination Reforms
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has initiated steps to reform examinations and has sought feedback from students and parents between June 27 and July 7. Teachers and institutions are also encouraged to provide their inputs. The Ministry of Education formed a committee on June 22 to oversee NTA and appointed Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, former ISRO chairman, as its chairman.
