SFI calls nationwide protest against NTA on August 17 over UGC NET re-exam row

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has announced a nationwide protest against the National Testing Agency (NTA) on August 17, following the agency’s decision to conduct fresh UGC NET June 2026 examinations for English, Commerce and Sociology.

SFI has accused NTA of repeatedly failing to ensure fair and error-free examinations and has demanded greater accountability over the irregularities that led to the re-conduct of the three UGC NET papers.

The student organisation has called on students and its units across the country to participate in the protest and raise demands against what it described as repeated failures by the testing agency.

In a press note, SFI said NTA’s decision to re-conduct the UGC NET June 2026 papers came after a committee found factual, typographical and translation errors in the question papers.

SFI said the reported errors included misspelt scholars’ names, garbled book titles, grammatical errors, flawed question wording and repetition of previously administered questions.

The organisation questioned how such irregularities occurred and demanded that those responsible be held accountable.

SFI also said the disruption caused by defective or re-conducted examinations places an additional burden on students who have already spent months preparing for the examinations.

According to the organisation, such re-examinations result in loss of time and money and can disrupt students’ admission and career plans while causing mental distress.

SFI demands NTA be scrapped

SFI has demanded that NTA be scrapped and replaced with what it described as a transparent and accountable examination system.

The organisation has also called for a judicial inquiry into NTA’s repeated examination failures and the circumstances surrounding the defective UGC NET papers.

In a post on X announcing the protest, SFI accused NTA of failing students and called for the government to be held responsible.

SFI also referred to what it described as repeated failures in national-level examinations and said students should not have to bear the consequences of examination-related lapses.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) has also raised concerns over the examination process and sought greater transparency from NTA.