The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially closed its probe into the suspected leak of the UGC-NET paper from the June 18, 2024, exam, stating that no evidence of an organized leak or conspiracy was found. According to officials, the leak was traced back to a doctored screenshot of the question paper that was circulated by a student with the intention of making money, rather than any coordinated effort to undermine the exam.
The controversy began when the UGC-NET exam was cancelled a day after it was scheduled, on June 19, 2024, following reports that the question paper had been leaked on the darknet. The leak was allegedly available on Telegram, with access being sold for a price. These claims prompted the Ministry of Education to refer the matter to the CBI, which registered a First Information Report (FIR) and initiated an investigation the very next day.
According to a source within the CBI, the investigation revealed that the screenshot circulating on Telegram was not an actual leak but a doctored document. The image had been manipulated by a student who altered the date and time stamp using an app, making it appear as though the paper had been accessed before the exam commenced. The doctored screenshot was shared on Telegram channels in the afternoon of the exam day, just before the second shift began, leading some to believe that it had been leaked.
The CBI probe also involved consultation with forensic experts who confirmed that the screenshot in question had been tampered with. The investigation further concluded that there was no evidence suggesting that the paper was accessed or distributed before the examination, nor was there any indication that any candidates had benefited from the doctored image.”
Since we found no evidence of any organized conspiracy or leak that would have affected the exam or benefited any candidate, we have closed the case,” said an anonymous CBI officer involved in the investigation. The agency also sent a detailed report to the Union Ministry of Education, informing them of their findings.
The UGC-NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) is a critical exam for determining the eligibility of candidates for Junior Research Fellowships (JRF), assistant professor positions, and admissions to PhD programs across Indian universities and colleges. In 2024, more than 11 lakh candidates had registered to take the exam.
The initial cancellation of the exam was based on a report from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which had flagged the potential compromise of the exam’s integrity.
With the investigation now closed, the CBI has cleared any suspicions of large-scale fraud or foul play surrounding the exam. However, the episode has raised questions about the security measures in place for such critical national examinations.
