The question paper for the UGC-NET exam, which was held on June 18, was leaked and sold on encrypted social media platforms, according to reports.
The UGC-NET June 2024 exam paper was widely leaked on Telegram and was being sold for anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000, News18 reported.
According to the report, a routine input that included initial details of analysis by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ I4C triggered the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The input mentioned the compromise of the exam’s integrity and with that the exam paper was available on Telegram before the test was conducted.
As per the report, Telegram was the epicentre of the leak while several groups were created to maximise profits through advertisements. Screenshots of Telegram groups, chats and payment screenshots have also been doing the rounds on social media.
Social media platform Telegram said it has blocked all channels involved in leaking the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) paper, which forced the cancellation of the competitive exam, the report added.
The UGC-NET, 2024, exam for the selection of junior research fellows, assistant professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country.
The next day, the UGC received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet.
On June 20, the CBI registered an FIR into the UGC-NET paper leak case against unidentified persons on a reference from the Union Education Ministry.
Addressing a press conference, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had confirmed that the leaked question paper circulated on Telegram matched the original.