Students and teachers staged a protest at the National Testing Agency office in Delhi to demand transparency regarding disputed UGC NET answer keys.
Candidate Suchitra Srivastava highlighted that challenging 14 disputed questions in the Political Science paper would cost an exorbitant Rs 2,800.
Srivastava reported that 24 of her recorded responses on the NTA portal differed from what she had marked during the examination.
UGC NET Row: Students Protest At Delhi NTA Office Over Answer Keys
UGC NET candidates and teachers protested at the NTA office in Delhi over disputed answer keys, response discrepancies, and high challenge fees.
Summary
Students and teachers protested at the National Testing Agency (NTA) office in Delhi to demand clarity on disputed answer keys and the challenge process.
The UGC NET exam took place between June 22 and June 30, 2026. The assessment covered 87 subjects to determine eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor and PhD admissions.
On August 16, 2026, the agency published the answer key for 84 disciplines. The objection window closed on August 18, 2026. The agency will re-conduct exams for English, Commerce, and Sociology in September 2026 after receiving numerous grievances about various errors in those tests.
Financial Burden and Discrepancies
Candidates face steep financial barriers when disputing potential evaluation errors. Student Suchitra Srivastava told ANI, that 14 questions in the Political Science paper were challengeable. She said these were basic conceptual questions that students familiar with the subject could answer, though they contained issues.
Each challenged question costs Rs 200. Disputing all 14 questions would cost a candidate Rs 2,800.
Srivastava said 24 of her recorded responses on the NTA website differed from the options she marked during the examination. She demanded her paper be rechecked and responses verified to protect her eligibility for JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD admissions. She said these discrepancies directly impact scores and final eligibility.
Systemic Failures and History
Teacher Pradyuman Tripathi visited the NTA office to express specific worries regarding the Political Science answer key. He said the testing procedures worked well in earlier years, but administrative issues started surfacing from 2023-24 onward.
He said the organisation operates without a systematic examination calendar and questioned how examination-related issues are being handled.
Errors in questions or answer keys directly affect final scores and eligibility. This makes the challenge mechanism an important part of the examination process for candidates.
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