Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has criticised the National Testing Agency over its decision to cancel three papers of the UGC NET June 2026 examination and conduct fresh examinations.
The National Testing Agency has decided to re-conduct the UGC NET examinations for English, Commerce and Sociology after receiving complaints about problems in the question papers. An expert committee examined the complaints and identified several issues, including factual errors, typographical mistakes, translation problems, grammatical errors and repeated questions.
The three examinations were originally conducted between June 22 and June 30. Following the review, the NTA concluded that the problems were extensive and could not be adequately addressed merely by removing individual questions. The agency subsequently announced fresh examinations for the three subjects to ensure a fair examination process.
The fresh English and Commerce examinations are scheduled to be conducted on September 9, while the Sociology examination will take place on September 10. Candidates who appeared for the affected examinations will not have to pay an additional examination fee for the re-examination.
Responding to the development, Rahul Gandhi questioned the NTA and the central government over the impact of the decision on students. He pointed out that candidates had spent months and, in some cases, years preparing for the examination. He also highlighted the costs involved in submitting applications, travelling to examination centres and preparing for the test.
Gandhi argued that students should not have to bear the consequences of mistakes made during the examination process. He also questioned whether there were additional issues surrounding the question papers that required investigation, including whether the papers had been compromised before the examination.
The Congress leader also called for accountability within the National Testing Agency. He said that responsibility should extend beyond political leadership and that the agency's leadership should also be held accountable for examination-related problems.
The controversy has drawn attention because UGC NET is an important national-level examination for candidates seeking eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship, Assistant Professor positions and admission to PhD programmes. The June 2026 examination was conducted across 87 subjects.
For candidates who appeared in English, Commerce and Sociology, the decision means preparing for another examination after already completing the original test. The NTA has therefore decided not to collect another examination fee from the affected candidates.
The testing agency has stated that its decision followed the recommendations of the committee constituted to examine complaints regarding the three question papers. The committee identified a range of defects, including misspelled names of scholars, errors in book titles, problems with question wording, grammatical and translation mistakes, punctuation issues and non-standard terminology.
Another significant concern identified during the review was the repetition of questions from earlier examinations. Reports have indicated that a substantial number of questions were repeated, adding to concerns regarding the quality and integrity of the affected papers.
The NTA said the issues were sufficiently widespread to warrant fresh examinations rather than simply deleting defective questions during the answer-key challenge process. The decision was presented as a measure to maintain fairness and ensure that candidates are assessed through a reliable examination paper.
The remaining 84 subjects of the UGC NET June 2026 examination will not be affected by the decision. According to the NTA, their results will be declared as scheduled and the overall allocation of seats will not be reduced because of the re-examination of the three subjects.
The issue has also renewed discussion about the reliability of large-scale competitive examinations in India. Students preparing for national examinations often invest considerable time and financial resources in preparation. Changes or cancellations after an examination can create additional pressure because candidates may have to repeat preparation, travel again to examination centres and adjust their academic or professional plans.
Rahul Gandhi has used the UGC NET issue to renew his criticism of the government's handling of national-level examinations. He has argued that examination agencies should be held accountable when administrative or procedural failures affect candidates.
The NTA's decision, meanwhile, is intended to address the specific problems identified in the three affected papers. The fresh examinations are expected to give candidates another opportunity to appear under a revised and corrected examination process.
For students appearing in the re-examination, the immediate focus will now be on the September schedule. English and Commerce candidates will take their examinations on September 9, while Sociology candidates will appear on September 10. No additional examination fee will be charged for the affected candidates.
The controversy has consequently placed renewed attention on examination quality, transparency and institutional accountability. While the NTA has taken corrective action by ordering fresh examinations, candidates and political leaders have continued to raise questions about how the errors occurred and why the original papers were allowed to be conducted.
The UGC NET re-examination will therefore be closely watched by affected candidates, particularly those who have already invested significant preparation time in the June examination. The outcome of the fresh examinations will determine the next stage of the eligibility process for candidates in the three subjects.
Overall, the cancellation of the English, Commerce and Sociology papers has created an additional examination burden for thousands of candidates. The NTA has ordered fresh examinations without an additional fee, while Rahul Gandhi has demanded greater accountability and questioned the agency's handling of the examination process.