UGC NET June 2026: 67 English Questions 'Repeated' From 2024 Paper, Sociology Exam Riddled With Errors — NTA Yet To Respond

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is under fresh fire over the UGC NET June 2026 examination, after two separate allegations — mass question repetition in the English paper and glaring language errors in the Sociology paper — triggered a wave of student anger and renewed questions about the credibility of India's largest eligibility test for university teaching posts.

67 Repeated Questions in UGC NET English Paper

According to a report by The Telegraph, 67 out of 150 questions in the UGC NET English paper matched questions asked in the 2024 UGC NET exam — conducted barely two years ago. All 67 repeated questions appeared in Paper II, the subject-specific section, and even the sequence of the answer options was reportedly left unchanged, raising serious concerns about paper-setting standards and exam integrity.

The scale of the overlap is what has alarmed candidates. Repeating one or two questions across several years is routine practice in competitive exams. Lifting 67 questions from a paper just two cycles old, aspirants argue, effectively rewards those who mechanically drilled the 2024 paper over those who prepared conceptually.

Academics have echoed the concern. Prof. R.K. Chauhan, former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University, described the repetition as "academic dishonesty," noting that while occasional repetition after several years is natural, copying 67 questions from an exam held just two years ago is unacceptable. Saavy, President of the All India Students Association (AISA) at Delhi University, argued that the repeated questions may have handed an unfair advantage to candidates from coaching institutes, where previous years' papers are a staple of preparation.

Grammatical Errors and Typos in UGC NET Sociology Paper

The controversy widened after candidates who appeared for the UGC NET Sociology paper on June 30, 2026 alleged that the question paper was riddled with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and poorly worded questions.

The names of well-known sociologists and standard academic terms were allegedly printed incorrectly. Among the errors flagged by candidates: "Ritzer" appeared as "Putzer," "social" as "oval," "Parsons" as "Parsow," "Ghurye" as "Ghunye," "A R Desai" as "A K Desai," and "Nussbaum" as "Nusbaut".

Researcher Antara Chakrabarty, who took the exam, wrote on X that nearly half the paper carried spelling errors and grammatically broken sentence construction. She further alleged that the paper included AI-generated questions and referenced thinkers and books that were not remotely connected to the prescribed syllabus. Candidates also complained that the Hindi translation of several questions was inaccurate and hard to follow, and that some questions fell outside the syllabus and did not align with the exam's stated objectives.

NTA Has Not Responded

As of now, the NTA has not issued any official statement on either allegation. The silence has amplified frustration online, with sections of candidates and academics calling for a re-examination, an independent review of the answer keys, and greater accountability from those responsible for framing the papers. Some social media users have even demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged lapses.

What Is UGC NET — and Why It Matters

The UGC NET (University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test) is conducted by the NTA to determine eligibility for the post of Assistant Professor and admission to PhD programmes in Indian universities and colleges, along with the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). The exam has two papers: Paper I carries 50 questions on teaching aptitude, research aptitude, reasoning and general awareness and is common to all candidates, while Paper II contains 100 subject-specific multiple-choice questions. The June 2026 cycle was conducted in computer-based mode from June 22 to June 30, 2026.

For lakhs of aspirants whose careers in academia hinge on this single test, the twin controversies have reopened a familiar and uncomfortable question about the reliability of high-stakes national examinations in India.