The NEET controversy had barely died down when the National Testing Agency (NTA) found itself under yet another scrutiny. This time, with UGC-NET. The University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test, or UGC-NET, is conducted to determine eligibility for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges.
The latest episode has once again put the examination under the scanner, with NTA announcing a re-test for three subjects, English, Commerce and Sociology, following complaints over errors in the question papers. It also brings back memories of June 2024, when the UGC-NET examination was cancelled over concerns about its integrity.
But NTA has not always been at the helm of UGC-NET. The exam predates the agency by nearly three decades. Before NTA took over its conduct in December 2018, UGC-NET was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for four years, from 2014 to 2018. Before CBSE, the examination was conducted directly by the University Grants Commission itself.
UGC-NET Before CBSE (1989-2014)
UGC-NET was introduced in 1989 as the National Eligibility Test for determining eligibility for lectureship in Indian universities and colleges. In its initial years, the examination was conducted directly by the University Grants Commission.
At the time, there was no separate national testing agency responsible for the examination’s conduct. UGC oversaw the test and the broader framework governing eligibility.
The examination was conducted in the traditional pen-and-paper format, with candidates appearing at designated examination centres. The system was largely built around physical question papers, answer sheets and examination centres managed through the existing university and education infrastructure.
This arrangement continued for several years before the responsibility for conducting the test was shifted to CBSE.
When CBSE Took Over UGC-NET (2014-2018)
In 2014, CBSE took over the conduct of UGC-NET from UGC. The board conducted the examination for four years, until 2018, on behalf of the University Grants Commission.
This distinction is important. CBSE became the examination-conducting agency, but UGC continued to remain the authority associated with the NET qualification and its eligibility framework.
CBSE was responsible for the operational side of the examination. This included organising the test, coordinating examination centres and overseeing the conduct of the examination.
The format, however, remained largely familiar to candidates. UGC-NET continued to be conducted as a paper-based examination during the CBSE years.
In other words, the biggest change in 2014 was who was conducting the test, rather than what the test was.
What Changed Under NTA
The next major transition came in December 2018, when NTA took over the conduct of UGC-NET.
Unlike the transition from UGC to CBSE, the shift to NTA also brought a major change in the examination format.
UGC-NET moved from the traditional pen-and-paper system to a computer-based test (CBT). The change brought technology into several stages of the examination process, from online applications to computer-based testing and digital processing of answer keys and results.
NTA also took responsibility for the large-scale operational aspects of the examination, including registration, scheduling, examination-centre allocation, conduct of the test, answer keys and result processing.
The move was part of a wider effort to create a specialised agency for conducting major national-level entrance and eligibility examinations.
Why Was UGC-NET Handed Over to NTA?
The creation of NTA in 2017 marked a broader change in India’s examination system. The agency was established as a specialised organisation for conducting major entrance and eligibility examinations using technology and standardised processes.
UGC-NET was among the examinations brought under NTA’s ambit.
For candidates, the most visible change was the shift from an examination centred on printed question papers and physical answer sheets to a computer-based test conducted through a nationwide network of examination centres.
The transition also meant that a much larger part of the examination process became technology-dependent.
From Paper to Screen, the NET Story Continues
UGC-NET has changed its conducting agency, format and technology over the years. What has not changed is the basic expectation from candidates: a secure examination, an accurate question paper and a result they can trust.
That expectation came under serious strain in June 2024, when the government cancelled UGC-NET after inputs indicated that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised. The decision came amid the wider NEET-UG paper leak controversy and intense scrutiny of national-level examinations.
In 2026, UGC-NET is again under the spotlight. Allegations surrounding the Sociology paper leak, followed by NTA’s announcement of a re-test for English, Commerce and Sociology over complaints of multiple errors, have put the examination process back in focus.
The two episodes are different and should not be confused. But they underline why the conduct of UGC-NET matters. For an examination that determines eligibility for teaching and research careers, even an error in the question paper can have consequences well beyond the examination hall.
From UGC’s direct administration to CBSE’s paper-based system and NTA’s computer-based model, the machinery has changed considerably. The fundamental question for candidates, however, remains simple: can they trust the exam they are sitting for?