Petitioners seek quashing of NTA's re-examination order citing arbitrariness and demand refund of exam fees; Court grants time for respondents to file reply and consider fee refund
In a significant development concerning the UGC-NET June 2026 examination, the Delhi High Court on August 31, 2026, issued notice on a writ petition filed by Parul Sheoran and others challenging the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to re-conduct the English paper of the exam. The petitioners have sought quashing of the public notice dated August 16, 2026, which directed the re-examination, alleging that the decision was arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
The petitioners contended that the NTA failed to disclose the material basis for the re-conduct and did not follow the procedural safeguards prescribed in the UGC-NET June 2026 Information Bulletin. They urged the court to declare the re-examination order unlawful and direct the NTA to declare results based on the original examination after duly considering answer-key challenges and expert reviews.
Additionally, the petitioners requested that if the court permits the re-conduct of the examination, the examination fees already paid by them should be refunded without any deductions. They also sought the right to appear in the re-examination without having to pay any additional fees, drawing parallels to the treatment of candidates in the NEET (UG)-2026 re-examination.
During proceedings, Mr. Jasmeet Singh, J., granted exemption for filing and issued notice to the respondents, including the Union of India and the NTA. The court has directed the respondents to file their replies by the next hearing date and further instructed the NTA to consider a decision regarding the refund of examination fees for the affected candidates. The petition is now listed for hearing on October 6, 2026.
This judgment underscores the judiciary's role in ensuring transparency and fairness in high-stakes competitive examinations and the procedural obligations of examination bodies like the NTA. Candidates awaiting results of the UGC-NET English paper will be closely watching the court's forthcoming decision, which could set a precedent for the conduct and redressal mechanisms in large-scale examinations in India.
Bottom Line:
Writ petition challenging the re-conduct of UGC-NET June 2026 examination for English and seeking refund of examination fees in case of re-conduct.
Statutory provision(s):
Article 14, Article 226 of the Constitution of India
Parul Sheoran v. Union of India, (Delhi) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2972577
