Free Press Journal
COMEDK UGET 2026: 36 Candidates Suspended Over Alleged Malpractice At Jamshedpur Centres; Four Reportedly Among Top 10 Rank Holders
COMEDK UGET 2026: The Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) has suspended the candidature of 36 UGET 2026 candidates after detecting alleged examination malpractice at three examination centres in Jamshedpur. The candidates, including four reportedly among the Top 10 rank holders, have been barred from participating in the ongoing counselling and seat-selection process pending the completion of the inquiry. However, COMEDK has clarified that the overall counselling process will continue as scheduled.The action follows a thorough academic, administrative, and forensic audit conducted after the examination and publication of the final results. According to an official press release, the audit discovered irregularities at the Jamshedpur centres, and subsequent verification with the assistance of COMEDK's examination service providers and technical partners revealed "credible and conclusive evidence" indicating the involvement of specific candidates and examination personnel in malpractice. Four Top 10 rank holders under suspicionAccording to a Times of India report, the majority of the 36 candidates under consideration are ranked in the top 500, with four in the top 10. The suspected candidates took the exam at Jai Sri Infotech, Govinda Vidyalaya, and Creative Computers in Jamshedpur.COMEDK UGET 2026, held on May 10, was a computer-based test administered across 400 centres in 280 cities for admission to 32,670 engineering seats in Karnataka's private engineering colleges. A total of 1,10,774 candidates took the examination, with 36,954 from Karnataka and 73,820 from other states.The results were announced on May 29 based on percentile scores. Notably, no Karnataka candidates appeared in the top ten. Five of the first six rank holders were from Jamshedpur, with the remaining Top 10 candidates hailing from Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and Bihar.CCTV review and analysis reveal evidenceSpeaking to The Times of India, COMEDK Executive Secretary Dr S. Kumar said the organisation follows a six-point academic and administrative audit process after every examination."There are six criteria that we check for in the academic and administrative audit. For instance, how do students behave in the first 30 minutes and last 30 minutes of the exam? The exam is a three-hour paper of 180 questions. We expect students to take less than a minute with each question. There are instances where we have found that the students were not so active in the beginning but completed 80-90 questions in the last half hour. We watched CCTV frame-by-frame visuals of these students closely and have found enough evidence of malpractice. These pieces of evidence will be presented to students when they present their explanation," Kumar told TOI.He further said COMEDK also carries out academic audits by analysing question papers using parameters such as item analysis, distractor index and response patterns, besides comparing candidates' Class 12 academic performance with their UGET performance. "We have been doing it since 2006," he added.According to COMEDK officials quoted by TOI, the candidates are suspected to have received external assistance during the examination through invigilators posted at the centres. Notices have also been issued to the concerned invigilators.Candidates asked to appear before authoritiesCOMEDK has individually notified all 36 candidates and asked them to appear before its authorities in Bengaluru on or before July 10, 2026. The candidates will be allowed to inspect the evidence gathered against them and present their explanations before any final decision regarding cancellation of candidature or debarment is taken.Until the inquiry concludes, the candidates will remain ineligible to participate in counselling and seat selection.Kumar also told TOI that COMEDK intends to file a police complaint after hearing the candidates' explanations on July 10.Counselling to continue as scheduledThe Times of India report also states that the consortium has informed the Admission Overseeing Committee (AOC) about the developments and said all actions are being taken in accordance with the COMEDK UGET 2026 Information Brochure and Counselling Handbook, which empower it to cancel candidature, debar candidates from future examinations and take other necessary measures when malpractice is detected.Despite the ongoing inquiry, COMEDK clarified that the online counselling process will continue as scheduled, with choice filling for the mock allotment beginning on July 11, 2026. It said the action is intended to safeguard the interests of thousands of genuine candidates and preserve the integrity of the admission process.
3 hours ago
