The Indian government, led by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Effective from June 21, the law imposes strict penalties, including a minimum of three years in jail and fines up to Rs 10 lakh, for exam-related offences.
Amidst the NEET paper leak scenario and NET JRF cancellation, government is about to take strong call to this paper leak and related incidents by releasing of the notification of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Central Minister of education, Dharmendra Pradhan informed that the detailed structure planning will be done by law ministry and will be soon getting implemented. It had already received the assent of President Draupadi Murmu in February, and will get its effect from June 21, 2024. Further this Act is attempting to cover the arena of public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, the Staff Selection Commission, the railways, banking recruitment examinations and other examinations held by the National Testing Agency.
According to the act, if anyone is found guilty of leaking paper or tampering with answer sheets will be subjected to minimum 3 years of jail and will also face a penalty of upto Rs 10 lakh. One of the most highlighting feature of the act is that all offences falling under the preview of this Act will be treated as cognizable and non-bailable.
Similarly, the State of Uttar Pradesh has passed the proposal for a new Ordinance termed as Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Ordinance, 2024 following the paper leaks of UP Public Service Commission RO/ARO and UP Police recruitment examinations. The proposed Ordinance imposes imprisonment of minimum 2 years upto a sentence of life in jail with 1 Crore as a fine, if found guilty. Moreover, if the examination gets canceled due to a paper leak, the guilty gang will be made to pay for the expenses incurred by the government for conducting such exam.
