A minimum three-year prison sentence will be imposed on any individual or organization found guilty of leaking a document or altering answer sheets.
Digital Desk: The government on Monday announced a new bill that will punish anybody who leaks exam questions for college entrance examinations, government employment applications, or school exams.
Students who take their exams in good faith will not be targeted by the new bill. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill states that anyone who colludes with government officials to leak exam papers or tamper with answer sheets may face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 1 crore.
Significantly, all offences under this bill shall be cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, meaning police will be empowered to act on their own (and arrest suspects without a warrant), the accused will not be entitled to bail, and the alleged offences cannot be settled via compromise.
What Else Does New Anti-Cheating Bill Say
In order for this new bill to become law, it needs to pass Parliament and be approved by President Droupadi Murmu. As part of the process, a high-level technical committee will be established to provide recommendations on how to make the examination process, which is increasingly moving to digital platforms, as safe as possible.
These suggestions will cover things like IT security solutions that are impenetrable, exam center surveillance, and minimal requirements for both digital and physical infrastructure for every exam center.
A minimum three-year prison sentence will be imposed on any individual or organization found guilty of leaking a document or altering answer sheets. A fine of up to Rs 10 lakh would apply if this is extended to five years.
Service providers risk fines of up to Rs 1 crore if they fail to report a potential offense.
Senior managers of these companies risk a comparable punishment or a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
Those found guilty of the "organized crime of paper leak" might also face fines of up to Rs 1 crore in addition to five to ten years in prison.
Which Exams Are Included in the New Bill?
Exams administered by the agencies listed below will be covered by the proposed anti-cheating measure, along with other authorities, including those that may be informed or added to this list in the future.
1. Union Public Service Commission (i.e., for civil service entrance exams)
2. Staff Selection Commission (i.e., for posts in union ministries and subordinate offices)
3. Railway Recruitment Boards (i.e., for certain kinds of jobs in the Indian Railways)
4. Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (i.e., for all public sector banks, except State Bank of India)
5. National Testing Agency (i.e., for entrance exams for admission to higher educational institutions)
Leave A Comment