Cheating in UP Civil Services Exam could lead to life imprisonment, Rs 1 cr fine

Lucknow: Appearing in government recruitment exams in Uttar Pradesh just got significantly more serious. With the Review Officer (RO) / Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Preliminary Examination 2023 scheduled for July 27, the state government has introduced a powerful deterrent against malpractice — life imprisonment and fines up to Rs 1 crore.

This unprecedented move follows the implementation of the Uttar Pradesh Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, passed after the February 11, 2024 RO/ARO exam was cancelled due to a major paper leak.

Under the new law, any act of impersonation, cheating, aiding unfair means, leaking or attempting to leak question papers, or conspiring to rig exams will now be treated as a serious criminal offence. Depending on the severity, violators may face life imprisonment and steep monetary penalties.

BJP lawmaker Vijay Bahadur Pathak welcomed the crackdown, describing it as essential to safeguarding the credibility of public recruitment.

“The decision to impose life imprisonment and hefty fines on those involved in exam fraud is a landmark move. It sends a strong message that the government will not tolerate any compromise in the integrity of public service recruitment,” Pathak said.

In this atmosphere of increased scrutiny, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) on Friday released admit cards for the upcoming RO/ARO Preliminary Exam 2023.

A staggering 10,76,004 candidates have registered for just 411 posts, making this the largest examination in UPPSC’s history.

The exam will take place in a single session from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm across 2,382 centres covering all districts of the state. UPPSC Deputy Secretary Omkar Nath Singh advised candidates to download their admit cards from https://uppsc.up.nic.in using their One Time Registration (OTR) number.

Candidates must report to their designated centres well in advance — entry will begin 90 minutes before the exam and close 45 minutes before the scheduled start. Candidates must carry two passport-sized photographs, a valid photo ID (original and photocopy), and their admit card.