New Delhi, Aug 2026 : Amid growing criticism over the decision to re-conduct the UGC-NET examinations for three subjects after errors were detected in the question papers, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has defended its handling of the matter, saying it is proactively identifying shortcomings and taking corrective measures in a transparent manner to safeguard the interests of candidates.
The NTA on Sunday announced that the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) examinations for English, Sociology and Commerce would be conducted afresh after multiple issues were reported in the question papers. The decision has triggered criticism of the agency’s examination management, particularly after candidates had already appeared for the tests and invested considerable time and resources in preparation.
However, sources familiar with the matter said the decision to order fresh examinations was taken after the NTA examined the affected papers and consulted subject-matter experts. They maintained that allowing question papers containing defects to stand would have been unfair to candidates who had prepared sincerely and appeared for the examinations.
The sources highlighted the enormous scale of the examinations conducted by the NTA between June and July. The answer keys for three major national-level examinations — UGC-NET, CSIR-NET and ICAR examinations, including AIEEA-PG and AICE-PhD — are being processed together. Across these examinations, papers covered 184 subjects and included approximately 24,700 distinct questions.
More than 10 lakh candidates registered for these examinations, while nearly eight lakh eventually appeared. According to the sources, every question in such examinations passes through multiple stages, including question setting, moderation, translation, typesetting, administration and evaluation. Each stage has to meet a common standard despite the enormous diversity of subjects and the volume of questions involved.
The NTA sources stressed that no issues were detected in the overwhelming majority of the examinations. Of the 184 subjects covered, the papers for 84 UGC-NET subjects, all five CSIR-NET subjects and 92 ICAR subjects were found to be in order. These collectively account for 181 subjects, for which answer keys were released on Sunday.
However, problems were identified in three of the 87 UGC-NET subjects — English, Sociology and Commerce. The answer keys for these papers were therefore withheld while the agency examined the reported discrepancies and considered appropriate corrective action.
The NTA has now scheduled fresh examinations for the affected subjects. Sociology will be re-conducted on September 10, while English and Commerce will be held again on September 9.
Sources said the decision reflected the responsibility of an examination-conducting agency to act not only when an examination runs smoothly, but also when an anomaly is discovered. They argued that the NTA chose to acknowledge the problem and take corrective action rather than allow potentially defective papers to influence the final results.
The agency is also conscious that a re-examination creates additional pressure on candidates who have already completed the examination process. To reduce the burden, the NTA has announced that candidates appearing for the three re-tests will not be required to pay any additional examination fee.
In addition, the number of qualifying candidates and subject-wise allocations for the affected examinations will not be reduced. The move is intended to ensure that candidates do not suffer further because of the errors detected in the original papers.
According to NTA sources, the re-examination is particularly important from the perspective of candidates who prepared thoroughly for the test. They argued that errors in a question paper, including the repetition of a substantial number of questions from an earlier examination cycle, could create an unfair advantage for candidates who had encountered those questions previously.
The agency maintained that correcting the affected examinations therefore protects candidates who prepared independently and appeared for the test on the basis of the prescribed syllabus and preparation material.
Beyond the three affected papers, the NTA is also reviewing its internal mechanisms to prevent similar problems in future examinations. Sources said the agency is strengthening procedures at various stages of question-paper preparation, including setting, moderation, translation and composition.
The exercise will also examine how the lapses occurred and whether responsibility needs to be fixed for the errors. The objective, according to officials, is to ensure that potential problems are detected at the earliest possible stage, preferably before question papers reach candidates.
The NTA sources argued that accountability should be measured not only by the absence of errors but also by how quickly and transparently an organisation responds when problems emerge. They said an examination agency operating on such a large scale could encounter occasional challenges, but its credibility depends on its willingness to identify shortcomings, acknowledge them and correct them.
The latest controversy comes at a time when the NTA is under heightened scrutiny over the conduct of competitive examinations. The agency has faced criticism in recent years over issues surrounding several major entrance and eligibility tests, making transparency and reliability increasingly important for maintaining candidates’ confidence.
The NTA, however, maintained that the decision to re-conduct the three UGC-NET papers demonstrates its commitment to fairness rather than undermining the examination process.
According to the sources, the scale of the recent examination exercise — involving 184 subjects, around 24,700 questions and nearly eight lakh candidates appearing — underscores the complexity of the task. They said the identification of issues in three subjects and the decision to take corrective action should be viewed as an effort to protect the integrity of the examination.
The agency reiterated that its objective is to establish a fair, accurate and error-free examination system. It said strengthening internal safeguards, acknowledging mistakes and taking corrective action would remain central to its efforts to improve the examination process and restore confidence among candidates.
