Maharashtra introduces bill to prevent unfair means in competitive exams

The Maharashtra government on Friday (July 5, 2024) introduced a new bill to curb malpractices in competitive examinations. The bill, ‘Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024’, was introduced in the legislative assembly by minister and Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai.

Read also : Parliament approves bill to combat malpractice in public exams

The proposed legislation categorizes offences related to competitive examinations as punishable, non-bailable and non-curable. Those caught engaging in illegal practices during these examinations could be sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison, which may extend to five years, and fines of up to Rs 10 lakh. According to the bill, non-payment of the fine would attract additional imprisonment as provided for in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.

The Union government on June 21 enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which targets malpractices in competitive examinations, imposing a maximum jail term of 10 years and fines of up to ₹1 crore for those found guilty.

The bill, introduced in the Lower House of the state parliament, also states that service providers conducting the exams could be fined up to Rs 1 crore and held liable for the costs associated with the exam. Also, such providers would be banned from conducting competitive exams for four years.

The key provisions of the Maharashtra Competitive Examinations (PUM) Act include measures to prevent disruption during examinations, define the responsibilities of examiners and grant investigation authority to officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above.

The legislative measure follows reports of irregularities in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (First Cycle), which was conducted in May.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde congratulated Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and three other players and announced a cash reward of Rs 11 crore for the team that won the T20 World Cup.

The announcement took place in the central hall of the state assembly, where four Mumbai players from the team, including M. Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dubey, were present.

Mr. Shinde also acknowledged the contributions of support team members Paras Mhambre and Arun Kanade by congratulating them.