Was AI Used to Create NET Papers? What Irregularities Sparked Questions?

Several questions have been raised regarding the NTA's examination process. Subject experts and former experts associated with the NTA have claimed that AI was used in the preparation and translation of the question papers.

UGC NET Controversy: Following the decision to re-conduct three UGC NET exams, questions have arisen regarding the NTA's examination process. Subject experts and former experts associated with the NTA have claimed that AI was used to prepare and translate the question papers. However, the NTA has dismissed these allegations, stating that generative AI was not used to create the controversial question papers.

Amidst the controversy, a decision has been made to re-conduct the UGC NET exams for English, Commerce, and Sociology. According to experts, errors found in these question papers have raised doubts about the human oversight and review conducted after the papers were prepared.

Was AI Used to Prepare the Question Papers?

A subject expert has claimed that AI was used extensively in preparing the UGC NET question papers. Some former subject experts associated with the NTA also stated that technology was employed for translating the exam material. However, the mere use of technology does not prove that AI was the cause of the errors in the question papers. The core issue is whether adequate human and subject-expert reviews were conducted after the papers were prepared. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh has denied that the controversial question papers were created using AI. According to him, a human review was conducted after the papers were prepared. Nevertheless, the emergence of numerous errors has raised questions about the effectiveness of this review process.

Why Weren't the Papers Cancelled for Six Weeks?

The controversy is not limited to the irregularities found in the question papers. Questions have also been raised regarding the delay in taking action after the flaws in the examination came to light. According to reports, discussions took place between Ministry of Education officials and sources associated with the NTA regarding the cancellation of the paper and rescheduling the exam for late July or the first week of August; however, the NTA did not cancel the exam immediately. It was only after about six weeks—while releasing the provisional answer keys for 84 out of 87 subjects—that the announcement was made to cancel and re-conduct the exams for three specific subjects.

Questions Raised About NTA’s Scrutiny Process

Sources within the Ministry of Education indicated that conversations with two senior NTA officials failed to provide clarity regarding the process of setting the question papers. Sources claimed that the papers were prepared in an ad-hoc manner, which subsequently caused difficulties in formulating the answer keys. Other reports highlighted a discrepancy: if a panel of four or five subject experts was responsible for setting the paper, how did so many questions from previous years reappear, and why did the experts themselves lack clarity on the correct answers to those questions? Meanwhile, experts argue that the central issue in this entire controversy is not merely whether technology was employed in the examination process, but rather whether adequate human and academic oversight was exercised alongside that technology.