The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has discovered that the evidence leading to the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam was manipulated, as per government sources. This means someone changed the evidence to hide the truth about the leak.

Exam Cancellation

On June 19, the government cancelled the UGC-NET exam, which is important for teaching jobs and PhD admissions, after over 9 lakh candidates had appeared for it on June 18.

Alleged Leak on Telegram

The cancellation followed a tip-off from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) about a screenshot of the exam paper circulating on a Telegram channel, suggesting a leak before the first session of the exam.

Investigation by Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre detected the screenshot and informed the University Grants Commission (UGC) on June 19. Based on this, the exam was cancelled later that night, and the CBI took over the probe on June 23.

Findings of the CBI

The CBI found that the screenshot was manipulated to appear as though the exam paper was available before the test. A candidate had shared a photograph of the question paper on Telegram after the first session, which was then doctored.

Scam on Telegram

The scam involved claims that the paper was leaked and available for money. After the first session, scammers obtained a photograph of the paper, doctored it, and circulated it to make it seem like they had it before the exam.

The CBI has informed the Education Ministry of these findings. However, it is unclear if the government will reverse the decision to cancel the exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a tentative retest window between August 21 and September 4.

No Arrests Yet

No arrests have been made so far. The CBI's investigation involved analyzing the screenshot and digital trail of messages on the Telegram channel. A report is expected soon.

Exam Details

The UGC-NET consists of two papers: a common first paper and a subject-specific second paper. The exam is held in two sessions and contains a total of 150 multiple-choice questions. It is conducted twice a year, in June and December, and has returned to a pen-and-paper format this year.