Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has levelled fresh allegations against the examination system, claiming that the UGC-NET Sociology paper leak compromised the integrity of the June 30 examination. The allegations come at a time when the government is already facing scrutiny over recent competitive exam controversies, with candidates also reporting numerous errors in the Sociology question paper.

The National Testing Agency, which conducts the UGC-NET examination, has not issued an official response to the allegations at the time of publication.

Rahul Gandhi claims leaked paper matched the examination

Raising the issue on social media, Rahul Gandhi alleged that a 100-page PDF containing questions was circulated shortly before the examination. According to him, nearly 90 questions in the document matched those that appeared in the Sociology paper, suggesting a possible UGC-NET Sociology paper leak.

The Congress MP further claimed that the alleged paper was being sold for ₹2.25 lakh in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan. He also alleged that the same network was involved in supplying question papers for other recruitment and eligibility examinations, including CSIR-NET, HTET and ADA.

Citing a media report, Gandhi accused the Centre of failing to address repeated examination controversies despite concerns raised by students following the NEET-UG row.

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Rahul Gandhi alleged that a 100-page PDF containing questions was circulated shortly before the examination. (X)
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Rahul Gandhi alleged that a 100-page PDF containing questions was circulated shortly before the examination. (X)

Candidates flag errors and repeated questions

According to the Hindustan Times, apart from the allegations of a UGC-NET Sociology paper leak, several candidates questioned the quality of the examination itself. Aspirants who appeared for the June 30 paper reported multiple spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and poorly framed questions.

Some candidates highlighted instances where the names of well-known sociologists and scholars were incorrectly spelt. Others claimed that several questions appeared to have been generated with little editorial oversight.

A section of candidates also alleged that dozens of questions closely resembled those asked in previous examinations. According to one candidate, at least 67 questions were similar to those from the 2024 paper, with even the answer sequence reportedly remaining unchanged.

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The National Testing Agency is expected to clarify its position after examining the allegations. (X)
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The National Testing Agency is expected to clarify its position after examining the allegations. (X)

NTA yet to respond as scrutiny intensifies

The allegations surrounding the UGC-NET Sociology paper leak have added to the growing debate over the credibility of competitive examinations in India. While Rahul Gandhi has demanded accountability, the claims have not yet been independently verified.

The National Testing Agency is expected to clarify its position after examining the allegations. Until then, the UGC-NET Sociology paper leak remains under public and political scrutiny, with candidates seeking transparency over both the alleged leak and the reported errors in the question paper.

If substantiated, the UGC-NET Sociology paper leak could trigger further investigations into examination security and the conduct of one of India’s most important eligibility tests.