The Centre has introduced 'The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024' in the Lok Sabha aimed at curbing paper leaks, malpractices, and organised malpractices in recruitment examinations such as UPSC, SSC, as well as entrance tests like NEET, JEE, and CUET.
Union Minister of State for Personnel, Dr. Jitendra Singh, presented the bill in the House, emphasising the need to address the rampant incidents of question paper leaks and cheating that have adversely impacted lakhs of students across the country.
The proposed legislation will encompass a wide range of examinations, including those conducted by prestigious bodies like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), railways, banking recruitment exams, and computer-based tests conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The bill proposes stringent penalties for those found guilty of cheating, with a minimum imprisonment of three to five years and even harsher punishment for organised crimes of cheating, including imprisonment of five to ten years and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.
Dr. Singh highlighted the urgent need for such legislation, citing instances where states had to cancel or delay exam results due to unfair practices. He emphasised that the bill aims to deter organised groups and mafia elements involved in cheating through solver gangs, impersonation, and paper leaks.
The absence of a specific substantive law at the national level to address such malpractices has led to vulnerabilities in the examination system, allowing criminal elements to exploit the situation. Therefore, Dr. Singh stressed the importance of a comprehensive central legislation to effectively deal with these issues.
The objective of the bill, according to Dr. Singh, is to bring greater transparency, fairness, and credibility to the public examination system, reassuring sincere and genuine candidates that their efforts will be rewarded fairly and their futures safeguarded.
Crucially, Dr. Singh clarified that the bill protects candidates appearing in exams from punitive measures, ensuring they are governed by the existing unfair means policy of the examination conducting authority.
Given the increasing role of technology in conducting exams, Dr. Singh announced the establishment of a High-level National Technical Committee on Public Examinations. This committee will develop protocols for securing digital platforms, devise foolproof IT security systems, ensure comprehensive electronic surveillance of examination centres, and formulate national standards and service levels for IT and physical infrastructure deployed in conducting exams.
According to Dr. Singh, the introduction of 'The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024' marks a significant step towards safeguarding the integrity of recruitment and entrance exams in India. With stringent penalties for malpractices and a focus on leveraging technology for secure examination processes, the bill aims to restore trust and confidence in the examination system while protecting the interests of sincere and deserving candidates.
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