The Opposition alliance was quick to launch an attack at the BJP-led NDA government after the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination amid suspicion over the integrity of the exam being compromised.
The Ministry of Education, in a press released, said, "To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India has decided that the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination be cancelled."
UGC-NET 2024 CANCELLED
The ministry said that a fresh examination will be conducted, the information for which shall be shared separately. "Simultaneously, the matter is being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for thorough investigation in the matter," it said.
"Government is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students," it added.
NEET CANCELLATION ROW
The development, which comes in the backdrop of the controversy over NEET UG 2024 examinations, was also raked up by the Congress. It said that the Narendra Modi-led government was "playing with the future of the youth".
In a post on X, the grand old party said, "Yesterday UGC-NET exam was conducted in various cities of the country. Today the exam was cancelled due to suspicion of paper leak. First the NEET paper was leaked and now UGC-NET paper."
Congress described Modi government to have become "Paper Leak Government".
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge asked as to when will the NEET exam be cancelled. Taking a swipe at the Centre, he asked, "You 'discuss exams' a lot, when will you 'discuss NEET exam'?"
Kharge said that the cancellation of UGC-NET exam is "victory of millions of students' spirits" and "defeat of Modi government's arrogance" due to which they made a despicable attempt to hamper the future of the nation's youth.
"The Union Education Minister had earlier said that no paper was leaked in NEET. When arrests are made of education mafia in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana, the Education Minister accepts that some scam has taken place," he noted.
Kharge further said, "When will the NEET exam be cancelled? Modi Ji, please take the responsibility of stopping your government's rigging and paper leak in NEET exam too!"
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also slammed the BJP government, saying that "not a single examination is being conducted without rigging and paper leak under the incompetent" central government.
"This government is causing great harm to the future of the country. Crores of students of the country are sinking into the darkness of despair every day," the Arvind Kejriwal-led party said in a post on X.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also jumped in to condemn the Centre and said, "the laxity and corruption of the BJP government is fatal for the youth".
Noting the cancellation of NET exam amid the allegations of scam in the NEET exam, Vadra said, "Will accountability be fixed now? Will the education minister take responsibility for this lax system?"
After the announcement of UGC-NET exam's cancellation, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram asked for the canceling of NEET UG 2024 examination as well.
"Cancel #NEET too! The examination is devoid of integrity," Karti said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav provided a "deeper meaning" in his post on X.
He first slammed the BJP government and said that under their rule, "the paper mafia is rigging every exam, one after the other".
Akhilesh said that paper leak of police recruitment exam would mean no improvement in law and order situation. "Due to which there will be unrest and instability in the country and the state," he said.
Then he said that if there is fraud in the NEET exams, then honest people won't become doctors, adding that there will be a shortage of doctor for the treatment of nation's people. He said that "dishonest people will become a threat to the lives of the public".
Coming to the "absence of the UGC-NET exam", Akhilesh said that this would only add to the pre-existing shortage of teachers. "The shortage of teachers will hinder the mental development of the country, which will prove to be extremely fatal for the country in the long run," he added.
He termed the situation to be "very big conspiracy against the administration and human resources" of the country.
The SP chief said that rigorous investigation should be conducted into the matter under court's supervision, adding that the culprits should be given harsh punishment.
