CSIR UGC NET 2025 'paper leaked' in Haryana: two arrested, Congress blames BJP

The CSIR UGC NET 2025 question paper was allegedly leaked in Haryana a day before the exam leading to the arrest of two accused in Sonipat. The alleged leak has triggered sharp political criticism from senior Congress leader Kumari Selja, who accused the BJP-led government of repeated administrative failure in preventing paper leaks.

The national-level exam for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), lectureship, and PhD admission in science-related fields was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on December 18.

According to several social media posts, the CSIR UGC NET question paper reached the cheating mafia gang on December 17, a day before the exam, and two accused – Neeraj Dhanakad and Sachin – have been arrested in connection with the case.

A total of 37 students were allegedly coached using the leaked question paper in a building in Sonipat. Each student was charged Rs 3-4 lakh for accessing the paper, as per the reports. There has been no official statement from the Haryana police or the state government yet.

Member of Parliament and general secretary of the Indian National Congress (INC) Kumari Selja said the paper leak of a “prestigious national exam” was not an isolated incident but part of a recurring pattern and recruitment scams in Haryana.

She alleged that reports of question papers surfacing before the exam, organised paper-solving gangs, and extortion of students point to a complete collapse of the state government.

“Under the BJP government's rule, Haryana is repeatedly becoming a hub of paper leaks, recruitment scams, and exam irregularities. There is no strictness in policies, no accountability, and no seriousness regarding the future of the youth,” Selja said, demanding an explanation from the state government how the confidentiality of the exam was breached, who was involved, and why strict action was not taken following the earlier incidents.

Another X user wrote: “Everything is going haywire. First off, the government doesn't give jobs to anyone. When kids prepare for competitions, the papers get leaked. Now in Haryana, the CSIR–UGC–NET paper has been leaked. The exam was supposed to be on December 18. On December 17 itself, this paper reached the cheating mafias.”