New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday registered an FIR against unidentified persons in the UGC-NET paper leak case on the instructions of the Union Education Ministry, officials said.
The UGC-NET, 2024 examination for selection of Junior Research Fellows, Assistant Professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country.
The next day, the University Grants Commission received input from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analysis Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and was reportedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms. , sources said.
He said the CBI will work in close coordination with the I4C while launching its own darknet investigation software and systems to catch criminals.
According to the Education Ministry's complaint, inputs from I4C, which operates under the Union Home Ministry, "prima facie indicate that the integrity of the examination has been compromised", officials said.
"To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to cancel the above examination and refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a thorough investigation." ,” said the note referring to Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Ministry of Education.
The reference note is now part of the FIR.
The FIR states that the facts of the complaint prima facie disclose an offense punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown accused.
The UGC-NET, 2024 examination for selection of Junior Research Fellows, Assistant Professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country.
The next day, the University Grants Commission received input from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analysis Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and was reportedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms. , sources said.
He said the CBI will work in close coordination with the I4C while launching its own darknet investigation software and systems to catch criminals.
According to the Education Ministry's complaint, inputs from I4C, which operates under the Union Home Ministry, "prima facie indicate that the integrity of the examination has been compromised", officials said.
"To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to cancel the above examination and refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a thorough investigation." ,” said the note referring to Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Ministry of Education.
The reference note is now part of the FIR.
The FIR states that the facts of the complaint prima facie disclose an offense punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown accused.
