‘450-600 Km From Home’: UGC-NET Students Ask Who Will Pay For The Re-Exam

Last Updated:August 17, 2026, 09:16 IST

While NTA has waived the UGC NET exam fee, aspirants have questioned who will compensate them for the financial, academic and personal costs of appearing for the exam again.

‘Who will pay for our losses?’: UGC-NET students question NTA over re-exam. (File/Representative)

The National Testing Agency’s decision to re-conduct UGC-NET June 2026 examinations for English, Commerce and Sociology has triggered anger among candidates. While NTA has waived the examination fee, aspirants have questioned who will compensate them for the financial, academic and personal costs of appearing for the exam again.

NTA announced that the three papers would be conducted afresh after an expert committee found multiple errors, including factual, typographical and translation mistakesunclear options and repeated questions. The re-tests are scheduled for September 9 and 10, with no additional examination fee for affected candidates.

But for students, the issue goes beyond the examination fee.

“No additional fee. Shame on you NTA. What about travelling cost?” one candidate wrote on X, pointing out that some examination centres were 450–600 km from candidates’ homes. The student said travel, accommodation and other expenses could easily add up to Rs 10,000–20,000 for another attempt, while candidates would also lose time and face disruption to their academic and career plans.

“Seriously you’re playing with students’ time as well as their lives too,” another candidate wrote, arguing that ensuring a fair examination should be the testing agency’s responsibility.

While another questioned why the announcement was not made earlier, “Sociology aspirants knew from day 1 that their paper was leaked. Commerce and English aspirants had no clue and were waiting for answer keys since 50 days. Why didn’t you tell us the same day? Giving us 20 days to prepare is so unfair.”

This comes after the NEET paper leak controversy following which NTA cancelled the medical entrance exam and conducted a re-exam a month later.

The UGC-NET June examination was conducted between June 22 and June 30, while the provisional answer keys for most subjects were released only on August 16. The answer keys for English, Commerce and Sociology were withheld before NTA announced the re-examination.

The NTA’s own review committee has since confirmed that the three papers contained substantive defects and that the problems could not be resolved simply by dropping individual questions during the answer-key process.

Key Questions Answered

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Will NTA compensate students for re-exam travel costs?

The NTA has waived the UGC NET exam fee for the re-exam, but students are questioning who will compensate them for travel, accommodation, and other costs, which could amount to Rs 10,000–20,000.

What steps will NTA take to prevent future exam errors?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has floated a tender for round-the-clock security services at its headquarters and other locations to safeguard confidential examination material and infrastructure. The NTA has also terminated 47 officials and plans legal action against some as part of a broader overhaul following paper leak controversies. Additionally, the NTA was given 20 days to upgrade its entire examination system to be secure and free from human intervention.

Could this re-exam impact students’ academic careers?

Yes, the re-examination could impact students’ academic careers by causing delays in college admissions and the academic calendar. Students may also face disruption to their academic and career plans.

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