The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the government’s decision to cancel the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) following allegations of a question paper leak.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra dismissed the plea, noting that it was filed by a lawyer rather than a candidate directly affected by the exam’s cancellation.

The UGC-NET, originally scheduled for June and conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), was cancelled on June 19 after the Centre ordered an investigation into alleged question paper leaks. The matter has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further inquiry.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned the petitioner’s standing, stating, “Why are you (lawyer) coming? Let the students come here themselves.” The court emphasized that its dismissal of the plea would not prevent any affected candidate from seeking relief independently.

The PIL, filed by advocate Ujjawal Gaur, had sought to stay the proposed re-examination of the UGC-NET until the CBI completed its investigation into the paper leak allegations. However, the bench ruled, “While dismissing the plea, we note that we have not foreclosed the right of any affected candidate to approach the Court. Dismissed.”

The exam for UGC-NET determines the eligibility of candidates to pursue research opportunities, including junior research fellowships (JRF) and senior research fellowships (SRF).

(Inputs from ANI)