UGC-NET 2026 Sociology Paper Under Fire as Aspirants Allege Spelling Errors, Wrong Names and Out-of-Syllabus Questions

UGC-NET 2026, NTA UGC-NET Sociology paper, UGC-NET exam, National Testing Agency, and UGC-NET answer key challenge are trending after candidates alleged that the Sociology paper held on June 30 contained numerous spelling mistakes, incorrect names of well-known sociologists, poor Hindi translations and questions that appeared to be outside the prescribed syllabus.

Several aspirants took to social media to express concerns over the quality of the question paper, claiming that language errors made several questions difficult to understand. Among them was candidate Antara Chakrabarty, who alleged that the examination had "crossed all limits of academic accountability."

According to Chakrabarty, nearly half of the paper contained spelling mistakes and grammatical inaccuracies. She claimed that renowned sociologist George Ritzer was incorrectly printed as "Putzer," while terms such as "social" reportedly appeared as "oval." Other alleged errors included Talcott Parsons being written as "Parsow," G. S. Ghurye as "Ghunye," A. R. Desai as "A. K. Desai," and Martha Nussbaum as "Nusbaut."

The aspirant further alleged that several Hindi translations were poorly worded and difficult to interpret. She also questioned whether some questions had been generated using artificial intelligence, claiming they referred to thinkers and books that were not included in the UGC-NET Sociology syllabus.

"Students could not even understand the questions, let alone attempt them. Half the exam time was spent trying to interpret what was written," Chakrabarty wrote on social media, urging authorities to maintain academic standards in national-level eligibility examinations.

Responding to the allegations, a senior National Testing Agency (NTA) official advised candidates to formally challenge disputed questions through the official grievance redressal portal.

The official said that the agency reviews objections submitted by candidates and takes corrective action when challenges are found to be valid. Citing the Re-NEET examination as an example, the official noted that thousands of challenges were received and one question was withdrawn after review.

The NTA also acknowledged that typographical errors and repeated questions can occur, adding that question papers are prepared by subject experts. Candidates have been encouraged to submit their objections within the prescribed challenge window so that the agency can examine the reported issues before finalising the results.