The Union Cabinet recently approved a bill that exempts students from its provisions while targeting organized crime, mafias, and other wrongdoers for punishment. In addition, public servants who are discovered to have colluded with these individuals will also be held accountable.
During a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday, President Draupadi Murmu announced the Modi government’s intention to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024. She said, “My government is well aware of the concerns of the youth regarding irregularities in examinations.”
The Central Government has taken this initiative in relation to the competitive exams that were canceled because question papers were leaked. The government plans to enact laws in this area that are so onerous that individuals who engage in such activity will be forced to reconsider before doing so in the future.
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The Common Eligibility Test (CET) for Group-D posts in Haryana, the recruitment exam for junior clerks in Gujarat, the recruitment exam for teachers in Rajasthan, and the recruitment exam for constables in Bihar had to be canceled recently due to a paper leak.
In addition, this Bill includes a proposal to establish a high-level National Technical Committee on Public Examinations. This committee will create protocols to secure digital platforms, improve the security of computerized examination processes, and guarantee electronic monitoring of testing facilities. The committee will also create guidelines for the physical infrastructure and IT utilized during the assessment.(Read below)
If found guilty, an organized group of individuals involved in the use of unfair examination practices, including those connected to service providers or examination authorities, faces a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore and a maximum sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison. Additionally, institutions that engage in this kind of organized crime will be subject to a fine of Rs 1 crore.
Additionally, this will have an impact on the institute’s property. On the other hand, excellent workers will also be shielded from departmental and legal action. The punishment for public employees who work for the organized crime syndicate will be the same.