The UGC-NET June 2024 exam, administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA), was cancelled on Wednesday amid allegations of a paper leak, with Telegram identified as the epicentre of the breach.
Reports reveal that the leaked exam papers were being sold for prices ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000.
The cancellation was triggered by a routine input from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). According to top-level sources, this input contained details about the leaks, including links, a brief, and screenshots.
Among the evidence was a leaked sample paper that the Education Ministry later verified.
Sources disclosed that I4C officials discovered the exam paper on sale on Telegram, prompting the Education Ministry to take swift action.
The compromised integrity of the exam, with the paper being available on Telegram before the test was conducted, was a primary concern.
Officials traced a group selling the paper for ₹10,000 and found that the paper had been available on various groups days ahead of the exam.
The input provided detailed information about groups explicitly mentioning the NET leak. Sources indicated that Telegram had become the epicentre of the leak, with several groups created to maximise profits through advertisements.
Multiple links to where the paper was being sold were supplied to the Education Ministry.
Though the exact source of the paper remains unknown, it is suspected to have originated from the Dark Web, according to sources. “Officials became aware of Telegram groups where the NET paper was being sold. During the initial analysis, social media apps showed messages of the leaked NET paper circulating from these groups. A report was prepared and sent to the Ministry of Education,” a senior official familiar with the situation stated.
When questioned about the nature of the input, the official explained, “Every day, we receive information about leaks and attacks, prompting us to request action from concerned agencies, departments, or ministries. Similarly, our team found that the NET paper was being sold. It was a routine input with initial details such as links to the groups and screenshots.”
The UGC-NET cancellation follows a significant controversy regarding alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam, which is currently under Supreme Court review.
On Wednesday night, the Union Education Ministry ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET due to concerns over the exam's compromised integrity and referred the matter to the CBI for investigation.
On Thursday, the CBI registered a case against unknown individuals under Sections 120B and 420 of the IPC, based on a complaint received on June 20, 2024, from the Secretary, Department of Education, Government of India.
“The complaint alleged that on June 19, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analysis Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs indicating that the integrity of the UGC-NET 2024 Examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in two shifts across different cities, may have been compromised,” the CBI stated in a press release.
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