Three papers, one more try: What UGC-NET September re-exam means for students already running out of time

India's National Testing Agency (NTA) has released answer keys for 84 subjects, including English, Commerce, and Sociology, but has cancelled three papers due to factual, typographical, and translation errors. This will result in a re-exam on September 9 and 10, causing significant stress for students already pressed for time. This is only the second time since NTA began operations that the NET exam has needed to be redone, with the last instance occurring in 2024 after a leak was discovered.

Students like Dayita Samanta, who noticed repeated questions from the previous year's paper, feel disappointed and frustrated. With only 20 days to re-prepare, Samanta is concerned about the exhausting logistics involved. The stakes go beyond the exam itself, as institutions sometimes prioritize JRF holders over other qualified candidates.

The disruption also affects students aiming for PhD programs, as the retake could push admission cycles later, potentially costing them a year. Many students, like Prerna, who has already cleared the JRF exam, are worried about losing the one-year validity of their qualification or facing additional pressures, such as marriage expectations from their families.