A Bill to curb paper leaks in major exams is set to be introduced in the Parliament today, February 5. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 proposes a minimum of three to five years of imprisonment in paper leak cases and between five to 10 years in cases of organised crimes, reported Hindustan Times. The Bill also proposes up to Rs 1 crore fine for organised crimes.
Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions Jitendra Singh will seek permission to introduce the Bill which aims to curb cheating and enhance transparency in several public examinations such as UPSC, SSC, RRC, NEET, JEE, CUET, etc. The Bill has identified around 20 offenses and unfair means including impersonation, manipulation of answer sheets, and tampering with documents while selecting the merit or rank of a candidate.
A fine of up to Rs 1 crore has been proposed for service provider firms under the Bill. Further, recovery of the proportionate cost of an exam and barring the firm from conducting any public exam for four years have also been proposed as punishment.
According to the Bill, investigations must be conducted by an officer, not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police or assistant commissioner of police. The union government may refer the investigation to any central agency as well.
While addressing the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu spoke about introducing a law to keep a check on irregularities in exams. “My government is aware of the concerns of youth regarding irregularities in examinations. Therefore, it has been decided to enact a new law to deal sternly with such malpractices,” she had said.
The Bill also proposes establishing a high-level National Technical Committee on public examinations to create protocols for developing fool-proof IT security systems, enhancing digital platforms, implementing electronic surveillance across exam centres, and formulating national standards for infrastructure and IT.
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