Supreme Court Rejects PIL on UGC-NET Cancellation Amid Paper Leak

The Supreme Court dismissed a PIL challenging the cancellation of UGC-NET due to a paper leak, emphasizing that affected candidates should seek relief. The decision, made by a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, does not prevent affected students from approaching the court.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the government's decision to cancel the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) after an alleged question paper leak. The bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, dismissed the plea, noting that it was filed by a lawyer and not a candidate affected by the cancellation.

The UGC-NET, initially scheduled for June under the National Testing Agency (NTA), was cancelled after allegations emerged of a question paper leak. On June 19, the Centre ordered the exam's cancellation and handed the investigation over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned advocate Ujjawal Gaur, who filed the PIL, asking why students themselves had not approached the court. The bench clarified that dismissing the plea does not prevent affected candidates from seeking relief through the court.

The bench stated, "While dismissing the plea, we note that we have not foreclosed the right of any affected candidate to approach the Court. Dismissed." Gaur's PIL also sought to stay the proposed re-examination of the UGC-NET until the CBI completes its inquiry.

The UGC-NET exam assesses candidates' eligibility for research opportunities, including junior and senior research fellowships.

(With inputs from agencies.)