The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) paper scheduled for Wednesday will be postponed to a later date due to festivals coinciding with the original exam date. A new date will be shared soon, the NTA stated, adding that the UGC-NET exam scheduled for Thursday will proceed as planned.

In a statement, the NTA mentioned that it had received requests to reschedule the exam, considering the overlap with the festivals of Pongal, Makar Sankranti, and other regional celebrations on January 15, 2025. As a result, the exam on January 15 will be postponed, and the revised date will be announced in due course. However, the exam on January 16 will be held as originally scheduled.

The decision follows concerns raised by various parties, including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi, who criticized the government for scheduling the exam during Pongal celebrations. In a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Kanimozhi accused the central government of being “insensitive” to the cultural significance of Pongal in Tamil Nadu, arguing that holding the UGC-NET on that day would interfere with both the festival and exam preparations for Tamil Nadu students. She expressed that this was not merely a mistake but a deliberate disregard for the state’s cultural heritage.

The NTA conducts the UGC-NET twice a year on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for awarding Junior Research Fellowships (JRF), appointments as assistant professors, and admissions to PhD programs.