Students complain loss of money, precious time as UGC-NET exam cancelled

Swapnil Tambe, a history student who just completed his MA degree and sat for the NET exam and was allotted Daund said, “I live in Pune but the centre I was allotted was in Daund and I had to travel all the way for this exam alone. I paid over Rs 700 for the exam fee and then spent even more to travel all the way to the centre. As a student, it is very difficult to manage all these expenses.”

He said he will be able to sit for the exam again only if his centre is in Pune itself. He also demanded that students like him should be exempted from paying the exam fee again and reimbursed for such costs.

Bapurao Gungargaonkar, a 28-year-old post-graduate who attempted the exam for the second time this year said, “Many students have to travel for over 100 km to attend the exam, arrange for accommodation and bear all related costs but with a re-test being announced, who is responsible for the financial burden we will have to bear?” Bapurao had to travel to Daund too, over 85 km away from his residence.

His last experience of the UGC NET exam in 2023 was not very smooth either as he had to deal with lagging systems, repeated questions and frozen screens which made it very hard for him to do his best. “Our lives and futures depend on these exams. I have been unemployed and hoped that once I clear the NET, some of my troubles will be eased but to no avail. Until the culprit behind all this is found, the exams must not be conducted.”

All these students demanded their fees back with extra compensation for the expenses incurred for travelling to the exam centres.

Mayur Jawale, a 27-year-old post-graduate in Hindi Literature who attempted the paper said, “We have been studying and preparing for this examination for the past 6-7 months with hopes of becoming a professor, getting selected for a PhD, becoming a researcher and so on but all of them are dashed because of the corruption that has become a part of our education system. At my examination centre, no formal checking or frisking was conducted.”

Om Bodale, a 25-year-old student of Women and Gender Studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University who attempted the exam said, “My centre was in Wagholi and the papers were supposed to be given at 9.30 but we were not given them until 10.15. That is when we understood that something is not right. The exam went quite well for me, so now to prepare for the exam again, not just academically but also mentally, will take a real toll on me.”

On the evening of June 20, some students associated with the Vidyapith Vidyarthi Sangharsh Kruti Samiti held a protest at Savitribai Phule Pune University condemning yet another discrepancy in a national-level exam. The committee’s representative, Rahul Sasane said, “Students prepare rigorously for this exam throughout the year. If irregularities occur in exams, causing academic and financial losses to students, who is responsible?”

Manish Joshi, secretary of UGC office in Pune said, “The NTA has decided to conduct the exam again and the hall tickets will be sent to candidates according to their schedule. UGC gave the responsibility of conducting the exam to NTA, so they are handling this matter.”

(With inputs from Bhakti Shinde)