BJP Government Seeks to Curb Exam Cheating with Stringent Law, Five Years Jail and Proposed Fine of Rs 10 Lakh

Cheating in exams in Odisha will become a cognizable, non-chargeable and non-compoundable offence, carrying jail terms of up to five years and fines of up to Rs 10 lakh.

This comes at a time when Odisha’s BJP government is planning to bring a new anti-fraud bill amid allegations of irregularities in several public inquiries.

The bill, called the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, is expected to be passed in the upcoming session of the state Assembly starting from November 26. Indian Express reported.

The bill aims to “prevent various forms of unfair means such as impersonation, cheating and interfering with the examination process, leakage of information related to an examination before the scheduled time, unauthorized entry into examination halls etc. and to maintain the integrity of the public. exams,” said state secretary Manoj Ahuja.

“Any person or persons who resort to unfair means and offenses will be punished with imprisonment for a term ranging from three to five years and with a fine not exceeding ten lakh rupees,” Ahuja said after the Cabinet meeting.

There is currently no specific criminal provision covering unfair practices during examinations. Police previously booked offenders under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and, since July, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The punishment for cheating under the IPC is a maximum of seven years, while under the BNS it is three years.

Once this law comes into force, it will regulate the examinations conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission, Odisha Staff Selection Commission, Odisha Sublicate Staff Selection Commission and the Service Selection Board.

It will further apply to recruitment examinations by the Odisha Police Selection Board, the state selection board constituted under the Odisha Education Rules, 1992, as well as examinations for the state government and their subordinate offices.

Moreover, the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination, governed by the Odisha Professional Educational Institution Act, 2007, will also be covered under this scheme.

In particular, third-party service providers involved in conducting exams may face fines of up to Rs 1 crore, and the proportionate cost of the examination will also be recovered from them.

“In case of non-payment of fine, additional jail term will be imposed as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,” an officer said. The Indian Express.

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