Center proposes anti-paper leakage law to reduce exam irregularities

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations conducted by UPSC, SSC, Railways, Banking Sector Recruitment Examinations and National Testing Agency (NTA), among others.

New Delhi: Following leaked UGC NET, NEET UG, UP Police Recruitment and UPPSC RO, ARO documents, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which aims to prevent cheating in public examinations and tests common entry requirements at the national level, has come into force. effective Friday. A gazetted notification issued by the Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions states: In exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (2) of section 1 of the Public Examinations (Prevention Unfair Means) (1 of 2024), the Central Government shall fix June 21, 2024 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.

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The bill, passed by both houses of Parliament during the budget session that ended on February 10, aims to prevent the use of unfair means “in public examinations and to strengthen transparency, fairness and credibility”. On February 13, President Droupadi Murmu gave the green light to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024, which aims to check cheating in government recruitment exams. The notification of the law comes just a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was asked when the legislation would be implemented. The minister had said that the Ministry of Justice was in the process of drawing up the rules.

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024: Provisions for a minimum of three to five years’ imprisonment to combat cheating

Statutory public examinations refer to examinations conducted by authorities notified by the central government. These include Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board, National Testing Agency, Institute of Staff Selection banking and central government departments and their attached offices for recruitment. The law also prohibits the premature disclosure of confidential examination-related information and the entry of unauthorized persons into examination centers to create disruptions. The offenses will be punishable with imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. All offenses under the Bill will be cognizable, non-bailable and non-prosecutable. It has provisions for a minimum of three to five years of imprisonment to combat cheating and those involved in organized crimes of cheating will be punished with five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore .

Prior to this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offenses committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the central government and its agencies. The bill covers recruitment exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), NEET and JEE and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others.

The Public Scrutiny (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 aims to deter such nefarious elements; Meanwhile, the sole aim of the Bill is to bring greater transparency, fairness and credibility to public examination systems and to reassure young people that their sincere and genuine efforts will be fairly rewarded and that their future is secure.

Paper leaks have a profoundly negative impact on candidates, compromising the integrity of the examination system and demoralizing those who prepare diligently. Paper leaks can have significant mental and emotional effects on students. At first, the uncertainty and anxiety caused by a paper leak can disrupt their preparation and concentration before the exam.