Center notifies rules under anti-paper leak law, directs NRA to prepare SOPs

The Center on Monday issued regulations relating to the new anti-paper leak law, requiring the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to establish norms, standards and guidelines for computer-based tests, among others.

The rules were issued soon after the implementation of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, the first national law aimed at preventing the use of unfair practices in recruitment examinations conducted by various public bodies.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on February 9 and by the Lok Sabha on February 6.

President Droupadi Murmu approved the bill on February 12, turning it into law.

The Act aims to prevent unfair practices in public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railways, Sector Recruitment Examinations banking and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others.

It includes provisions for a minimum prison sentence of three to five years for cheating. Those involved in organized cheating crimes will face five to ten years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024, dated June 23 and made public on Monday, contain provisions regarding “engagement of services of other government agencies by the public examination authority,” preparation of norms, standards and guidelines” and “reporting of incidents of unfair means or violations”, among others.

“The National Recruitment Agency, on behalf of the Central Government, shall, in consultation with stakeholders, prepare norms, standards and guidelines for the computer-based mode of examination, which shall be notified by the Central Government,” indicates the regulation.

These should cover “standard operating procedure for registration of public examination centers”, “space requirements in computerized examination centers”, “seating arrangements”, “specifications and arrangement of computer nodes”, “server specifications and network infrastructure” and “specifications for an electronic platform for conducting computer-based tests”, among others.

Pre-examination activities, including pre-readiness audit of public examination centers, candidate registration, biometric registration, security and screening, seat allocation, setting up and loading question sheets, monitoring during the exam, post-exam activities and guidelines. for the provision of scribes, will also be part of the standards drafted.

The NRA is responsible for conducting online exams to select candidates for government jobs. Indian Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola, who was given additional charge of the controversial National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday, was appointed NRA Chairman in March 2022.

The new rules allow the public examination authority to avail the services of serving or retired employees of the “central government, state government, public sector undertakings, public sector banks, public universities, autonomous bodies and other government organizations to entrust them with functions of center coordinator or any other public body. other tasks related to public examination”.

They also mention provisions relating to the reporting of incidents of unfair means or offenses and “the procedure to be followed in relation to civil servants”.

“The public review authority, upon receipt of the report from the regional officer or other, regarding the actions of an official responsible for the conduct of the public review shall consider whether the acts performed by the official during of public examination were in good faith.,” it said.

A committee may be constituted by the public review authority for this purpose, “which shall be headed by an officer of not less than the rank of Joint Secretary or equivalent and shall consist of a senior officer of the reviewing authority of public review and an expert appointed by the public review authority,” the rules state.

The committee will review all relevant information and submit its findings to the public review authority, it adds. The rules include provisions for a format for reporting unfair means or violations by the responsible venue.

The Personnel Ministry had notified June 21 as the date on which the provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 would come into force.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing allegations of malpractice in the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) and National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) exams ).

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