Students allege leak of UGC-NET Sociology paper

SEveral students who appeared for the Sociology paper in the University Grants Commission- subject Eligibility essay (UGC-NET) on June 30 feature alleged that the test was leaked, prompting demands for an investigating into the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is yet to issue any statement on the claims.The UGC-NET, conducted twice a year, determines eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), assistant professorship and admission to Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes in Indian universities and colleges.The fresh allegations come weeks after the NTA faced criticism over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 paper leak and days after candidates flagged translation errors in UGC-NET social science papers. The latest paper leak has already been raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who accused the central government of “failing to safeguard” the future of lakhs of aspirants.Students have alleged that a 100-page PDF containing handwritten questions prepared by National Testing Agency subject experts circulated before the examination, with nearly 90 questions and answer options matching the actual Sociology paper.The allegations surfaced after Deepak Dhankhar, Haryana president of the Aam Aadmi Party student wing Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), posted a video on Instagram and Youtube on July 6 claiming the Sociology paper had been leaked the night before the examination. The video also features Ankit Singh Phogat, who alleged that individuals claiming access to government recruitment and entrance examination papers had contacted him months before the June examinations, offering leaked papers for exams including UGC-NET, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test (CSIR-NET), Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET) and Assistant District Attorney (ADA).According to Dhankhar, the alleged network demanded ₹2.25 lakh per candidate and claimed to operate across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan.HT has a copy of the alleged leaked PDF. Two faculty members associated with the National Testing Agency’s question-setting process, requesting anonymity, said the document’s format matched the internal template used for preparing question banks.“The PDF contains questions submitted by subject experts along with set numbers, question numbers, reference sources and difficulty levels. It is sad that a confidential document leaked from NTA building when the agency is supposed to have a fool proof system,” one faculty member said.Another faculty member said the document also carried moderators’ initials, approval dates and correct answer options. “It is a genuine document and it is unusual that such a document came out of the NTA,” he added.The question-setting process is conducted under strict security protocols inside a highly restricted, isolated facility within NTA office building in Delhi where subject experts prepare and moderate questions without access to external communication devices.The UGC-NET Sociology examination is conducted in a single three-hour Computer Based Testing (CBT) session and comprises 150 multiple-choice questions carrying 300 marks. It includes 50 General Aptitude questions (100 marks) and 100 Sociology questions (200 marks), with no negative marking.Since the examination is conducted in CBT mode, the final question paper is not publicly available immediately after the examination.Aishwarya Puri, an educator at coaching platform Adda247, said in a YouTube video that she shared screenshots from the alleged PDF with a student who appeared for the examination. “The student confirmed that the questions, including the answer options, matched exactly. This means paper was leaked,” she said while demanding an investigation.A candidate from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi said the circulating PDF had left students “distressed” and “felt cheated” and demanded that the NTA explain the authenticity of the document.A candidate from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who appeared for the examination told HT that the questions and even the sequence of options matched the PDF. “The document’s metadata showed it had been generated at 4 am on June 30, hours before the 3 pm examination, and sought an investigation into the alleged breach,” he said.Another candidate from Delhi University (DU) said, “After translation discrepancies during the examination, the circulation of a PDF containing around 85-90 questions that matched the paper has only added to our anxiety. NTA must clarify the authenticity of the circulating PDF and be transparent and accountable.”HT could not independently verify whether the questions in the alleged leaked PDF were identical to those asked in the examination. PDF metadata can also be modified using readily available software.Meanwhile, LoP Gandhi claimed that leaked paper was being sold for ₹2.25 lakh across multiple states. Criticising the Centre, he said repeated controversies surrounding the NTA showed the government had failed to protect the interests of examination aspirants.NTA did not respond to HT’ requests for comment.