UGC-NET Paper Errors: Education Ministry Orders NTA Audit, Overhauls Exam Security

The Union education ministry on Monday directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct a "thorough audit" of all examination processes. The agency must submit a "report on corrective action" within 30 days to "fix accountability", ministry officials informed. The directive follows the NTA announcing re-examinations for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) in English, commerce and sociology. A panel previously flagged errors in the question papers. Union education minister Pralhad Joshi reviewed the situation in a meeting with higher education secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee and NTA director general Abhishek Singh.

Overhauling Exam Security Operations

In a post on X, the ministry stated over 50 NTA staff have been removed. The agency is filling 10 new professional leadership roles with domain specialists from the private sector. These positions include a chief technology officer, chief finance officer and chief information security officer. The agency is also hiring experts for test security, cybersecurity, research and development, psychometrics and question-paper design.

Joshi directed a "Complete overhaul of Confidential Operations (CONOPS) architecture" on a "war footing". The system will feature secluded rooms, air-gapped systems and device-deposit protocols.

The CONOPS secure protocols were introduced following the October 2024 recommendations of a high-level committee. Former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan headed the panel.

The NTA question-paper preparation involves subject panels, moderators, vetters and translators. Subject panels prepare a large question bank, from which moderators select sets. Vetters independently solve these sets to resolve discrepancies. Questions are translated into regional languages and back-translated into English to ensure accuracy.

The teams work in isolation at the Delhi office for about a week. They surrender digital devices on entry. Security personnel monitor their movement. After randomisation, multiple sets are printed, packed and kept in secure storage until the final selection on the morning of the examination.

To expand institutional capacity, the NTA invited applications for 22 posts between May 15 and August 6. It also floated a Rs 7.5 crore tender on July 25 for round-the-clock security services across its headquarters and regional offices.

Impact on Affected Candidates

The re-examinations are scheduled for September 9 and 10. The move affects over 157,000 candidates across the English, commerce and sociology subjects. UGC-NET determines eligibility for JRF, assistant professor posts and PhD admissions in 87 subjects and is usually held twice a year in CBT mode.

The NTA will allot candidates examination centres in their preferred cities "as far as possible". This step aims to ease travel burdens for students facing a second test.

The internal committee discovered factual, typographical and translation errors alongside repeated questions from previous examinations. The ministry stated that these detailed findings are "internal" and will not be made public. The focus remains on declaring results without delay to ensure Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and PhD admissions are not affected.

The qualification mark for assistant professorship is set at 6% of candidates appearing in either the original test or the re-examination, whichever is higher. The NTA informed that already allocated slots will not decrease under any circumstances.

A ministry spokesperson, responding to Hindustan Times, attributed the delay of more than a month in deciding on the re-examinations to "several levels of checks and verification". The spokesperson also cited adherence to due process and ongoing discussions with the UGC.

Political Backlash and Accountability

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday demanded that the NTA leadership be held accountable. He said that Dharmendra Pradhan resigning as Union education minister on July 25 following student protests over examination irregularities was only the first step.

Rahul criticised the agency for forcing students to "serve the sentence" for administrative errors.

"UGC-NET exams for sociology, English and commerce were held between 22 and 30 June. Nearly two months later, NTA has cancelled all three because it set faulty papers and repeated old questions. Thousands of candidates who prepared for years, filled forms, paid the fees, and travelled to distant centres must now do it all again in September. NTA makes the mistake, but the student serves the sentence," Rahul said.