Archive · 17 Aug 2026
Student groups protest UGC-NET re-exam, demand NTA accountability
Some students in India take a big test called UGC-NET to become teachers or get into PhD programs.
This year, the test had mistakes in three subjects: English, Commerce, and Sociology.
The agency that runs the test, called NTA, found the mistakes and said students have to take the test again in September.
Many students are upset because they studied hard and waited a long time for their results.
Groups of students held protests in New Delhi to show they are unhappy.
They want the NTA to be closed down and replaced with a better system.
Some students said the police stopped them during the protests.
The students say their futures should not be hurt by the mistakes of the testing agency.
The new tests will happen on September 9 and 10, and students do not have to pay again.
Student groups AISA, SFI, ABVP and KYS protested in New Delhi against the NTA's decision to re-conduct UGC-NET exams for English, Commerce and Sociology.
The NTA ordered fresh exams after an expert committee found factual, typographical, translation and grammatical errors in the question papers.
Protesters demanded the abolition of the NTA, citing repeated lapses that put students' academic and career plans at risk.
AISA alleged police detained protesters and raised concerns about irregularities in the Sociology and English papers.
The re-examinations are scheduled for September 9 and 10, and candidates will not pay an additional fee.
- Who
- Student organizations AISA, SFI, ABVP and KYS, and the National Testing Agency (NTA)
- What
- Protests against the NTA's decision to re-conduct UGC-NET exams for English, Commerce and Sociology due to errors in the question papers
- When
- Monday, August 17, with re-examinations scheduled for September 9-10
- Where
- New Delhi, at the NTA headquarters in Okhla Industrial Estate and the Union Ministry of Education
- Why
- Because the NTA found factual, typographical, translation and grammatical errors in the papers, and students demand accountability
Student groups
NTA and authorities
NTA's future
Student groups
The NTA should be scrapped and replaced with a transparent, publicly controlled examination system.
NTA and authorities
The NTA addressed the errors by ordering fresh examinations for the affected subjects.
Police handling of protests
Student groups
AISA and KYS alleged police brutally detained and manhandled protesters, including women activists.
NTA and authorities
No immediate response was available from the police to the allegations.
Examination irregularities
Student groups
Errors reflect systemic mismanagement, including a leaked PDF of questions and answers and questions reproduced from the 2024 exam.
NTA and authorities
An expert committee review identified the errors and corrective re-examinations were scheduled for September.
- Re-exam subjects
- English, Commerce, Sociology
- Re-exam dates
- September 9-10
- Answer key release
- August 16
- Original exam
- June 2026 UGC-NET
- Protest location
- NTA headquarters, Okhla Industrial Estate, New Delhi
- Additional fee
- None
- Protesting groups
- AISA, SFI, ABVP, KYS
- Errors found
- Factual, typographical, translation and grammatical errors
