The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that it will reconduct examination for the UGC-NET aspirants from Chennai and Nellore who could not attend the exam held on December 6, owing to Cyclone Michaung.  

In a notice issued by the NTA on Tuesday, December 12, the agency stated that it will reconduct the exam for aspirants who missed it on December 6 in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district. As per the fresh announcement, the exam has been rescheduled on December 14. 

Several aspirants were unable to attend the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s National Eligibility Test (NET) on Wednesday, December 6, with the passage of Cyclone Michaung causing intense rains and flooding in many parts of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, the NTA had announced that the exams would be held as per schedule, following which several students from Chennai and parts of Andhra Pradesh expressed concerns that they may not be able to appear for the examination. 

The NET examination is meant to determine eligibility for college assistant professor posts and to award Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) in government-run universities in India. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is the nodal agency to conduct the NET exam.

Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc in Chennai, leaving several areas inundated with floodwater. Several residents had to be evacuated and provided shelter in relief centres. Under the influence of the cyclone, many areas in Chennai received more than 20 cm rainfall.