The National Testing Agency told the Supreme Court that the UGC-NET paper leak on the Telegram channel on May 4 was fake. The Court said a re-test may be necessary if the sanctity of the entire exam was affected and it was impossible to separate the beneficiaries of the fraud from the honest candidates.
However, the NTA maintained that the sanctity of the entrance exam has not been compromised. It highlighted in an affidavit that the timestamp was manipulated to create a false impression that the paper had been leaked.
Sources say CBI-led investigations established that the alleged UGC-NET paper leak evidence was doctored. It’s believed a candidate shared a photograph of the question paper on a Telegram channel around 2 p.m. after the first session of the UGC-NET.
The photograph was then tempted to make it seem like the paper was available to the people way before the examination. However, the nature or extent of manipulation is not known.
Canceling UGC-NET Exam Would Be Futile
The Court said if the leak happened through electronic media, it could be widespread. However the NTA stated that the paper leak in Patna does not have any bearing on the conduct of the entire examination as the number of students found to be involved in the investigating agencies is minuscule compared to the number of candidates who appeared.
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It said cancellation of the exam would be hugely counterproductive and harmful to the larger public interest. It would hurt the career prospects of the qualified candidates. The NTA is looking for a retest between August 21 and September 4.
UGC-NET Paper Leak Money-Making Scam
Sources believe manipulation of the paper on Telegram was done to make money in the future. The CBI arrested two persons on June 28 from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand in connection with the paper leak. Two men were also arrested in Patna in the same case.
The government in its affidavit to the Supreme Court said that experts from IIT Madras conducted technical analysis of the NEET-2024 data. They found no indication of mass malpractice, nor any evidence that local candidates unduly benefited. The experts said there is very little likelihood of malpractice as students who obtained increased marks are spread across multiple cities and centers.
