SC Declines to Hear PIL Challenging UGC NET Exam Cancellation
Pune, 29th July 2024: The Supreme Court of India has declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the government’s decision to cancel the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET). The PIL, filed by lawyer Rohit Pandey, was aimed at reversing the cancellation decision made by the Central Ministry of Education and the National Testing Agency (NTA). Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra dismissed the petition, advising lawyers to allow affected students to address the issue directly.
The court’s bench observed that the PIL was filed by a lawyer, not by the directly impacted students, and therefore did not warrant serious consideration. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud emphasized, “Why are you (the lawyer) coming? Let the students come here themselves.” He further clarified, “In dismissing the above PIL, we do not express anything based on merit.”
The PIL was filed in response to allegations of irregularities in the UGC NET examination process, leading to its cancellation. Lawyer Rohit Pandey claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found evidence of tampering related to the paper leakage, which invalidated the grounds for cancellation.
Pandey’s petition argued that the cancellation of the exam was “unfair” and caused considerable inconvenience, anxiety, and unnecessary expense for candidates who had prepared extensively for the test. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the PIL underscores its stance on the procedural aspects of filing petitions and highlights the need for direct engagement by the affected parties.
