UGC-NET June 30 exam under scanner after candidates allege errors in Sociology paper
New Delhi, July 2
The UGC-NET examination held on June 30 has come under criticism after candidates appearing for the Sociology paper alleged that it contained numerous spelling mistakes, poor Hindi translations, grammatical errors and questions that were allegedly outside the prescribed syllabus.
Several aspirants claimed that the errors were not isolated typographical mistakes but reflected serious lapses in the preparation and quality review of the question paper. Candidates also alleged that the inaccurate translations made several questions difficult to comprehend, affecting their ability to attempt the examination.
The issue gained traction on social media after researcher Antara Chakraborty shared a detailed post highlighting what she described as widespread mistakes in the paper.
According to the post, names of prominent sociologists and scholars were misspelt, including George Ritzer, GS Ghurye, AR Desai and Martha Nussbaum. The post also alleged that the Hindi version of several questions was poorly translated and grammatically incorrect, creating confusion among candidates.
Aspirants further claimed that some questions appeared unrelated to the syllabus and questioned the quality control measures adopted during the paper-setting process.
Responding to the allegations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said it had taken note of the concerns being raised regarding the Sociology paper.
"The NTA has received representations from candidates regarding alleged spelling mistakes and translation issues in the UGC-NET Sociology question paper. These representations are being examined in accordance with the agency's established procedures. Subject experts will review the concerns, and if any discrepancy is found, appropriate action will be taken in line with the prescribed norms," the agency said.
The UGC-NET is conducted to determine the eligibility of candidates for the post of Assistant Professor, admission to PhD programmes, and the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in universities and colleges across the country.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who appeared for this exam, I felt like crying after seeing the Hindi translations. They were so bad that even my grandmother could have done better! NTA should release a proper explanation and consider a re-exam for those affected. The future of so many young researchers depends on this.
I'm a sociology professor and this is absolutely unacceptable. Names of GS Ghurye (father of Indian sociology!) and Martha Nussbaum being misspelled shows that paper setters don't even know the basics of the subject. The UGC should step in immediately. This isn't a simple typo—it's an insult to the discipline.
I've prepared for this exam for 2 years. Two years of my life. And now this? Questions outside syllabus, spelling mistakes, translation errors... feels like my hard work was wasted. NTA should at least refund the application fee and accept the mistakes openly instead of giving vague responses.
The NTA's response is just lip service. "Experts will review"? Yaar, these are the same 'experts' who set the paper in the first place! We need a commission to investigate this properly. Our students are not stupid—they deserve quality examinations.
UGC-NET determines eligibility for PhD and JRF. If the paper itself is flawed, how can you judge students fairly? The syllabus for sociology is already vast and now they go outside it? I'm disgusted. NTA should normalize the marks or conduct a re-test. Student career is at stake.
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