On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to hear a PIL challenging the decision of the central government cancelling the UGC-NET exam due to alleged leaking of the question paper. PTI said that the PIL's dismissal did not address its merits because it was submitted by a lawyer rather than by the aggrieved students, as highlighted by a bench that included Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

"Why are you (lawyer) coming? Let the students come here themselves," the CJI told the lawyer, adding "while declining the above PIL, we express nothing on merits", as per the above report.

Background of the UGC-NET Exam Controversy

Advocate Ujjawal Gaur, who had filed the PIL, was instructed by the bench to focus on other legal concerns and leave these kinds of decisions to people who are directly impacted. The National Testing Agency and the Union education ministry's decision to cancel the UGC-NET exam over integrity concerns was contested in the appeal.

UGC-NET exam
Image Source: ACCET Education

The ministry had cancelled the test on June 19 and forwarded the case to the CBI for further inquiry. In addition, Gaur's appeal sought an immediate halt to the planned reexamination of the UGC-NET until the CBI completed its investigation into the claims of a paper leak.

The petitioner asserts that the decision is not only arbitrary but also unjust, given the recent findings of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“The CBI's investigation brings the fact that the evidence suggesting the paper leak is doctored, thus nullifying the grounds on which the cancellation was based," the plea, filed through advocate Rohit Pandey, said.

The petitioner contended that the candidates who had diligently studied for this important test have suffered great pain, worry, and needless resource loss as a result of the "unwarranted" cancellation of the exam.

In the plea before SC, the petitioner had also sought a direction to immediately stay the proposed re-examination of the UGC-NET exam until the CBI completes its inquiry into the paper leak allegations.

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