Supreme Court Rejects Plea Against UGC-NET Cancellation, Cites Risk of ‘Chaos’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a new petition challenging the government’s decision to cancel the UGC-NET exam due to an alleged question paper leak.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, stated that intervening at this point could cause “chaos” since the exam is being rescheduled for August 21.

With approximately nine lakh students affected, the court emphasised the need for “certainty” at this stage. “The Supreme Court stepping in now will have a serious effect and there will be chaos all over,” remarked the CJI while rejecting the plea filed by Praveen Dabas and others.

The UGC-NET exam, originally held on June 18, was cancelled the following day after concerns arose about the integrity of the process. The CJI noted that the government’s decision to cancel the exam was a cautious move, especially in light of the recent NEET-UG controversy.

Previously, the Supreme Court had dismissed a PIL related to the same issue, highlighting that it was filed by a lawyer rather than by the affected students themselves.