Bill introduced in Lok Sabha to check paper leaks, use of unfair means in govt recruitment exams

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to check malpractices in government recruitment exams such as paper leaks and fake websites, with strict penalties including a minimum jail term of three years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore.

At present, there is no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the Central government and its agencies.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, introduced by Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, mentions “leakage of question paper or answer key”, “directly or indirectly assisting the candidate in any manner unauthorisedly in the public examination” and “tampering with the computer network or a computer resource or a computer system” as offences done by a person, group of persons or institutions.

The Bill will cover entrance examinations held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the railways, banking recruitment examinations and all computer-based examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), Singh said.

It proposes a minimum of three to five years of imprisonment to curb cheating and those involved in organised crimes of cheating will face five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore, he said.

The Bill is aimed at preventing organised gangs and institutions that are involved in unfair means for monetary gains, but it protects candidates from its provisions, the minister said.

“In the last few years, leaks of question papers and organised cheating had affected the interests of lakhs of students due to cancellation of tests and examinations,” Singh was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the personnel ministry. He said many states have had to cancel or were unable to declare results of their public examinations in the recent past due to adverse impact of unfair practices and means adopted by anti-social, criminal elements.

“These unfair practices, if not effectively prevented and deterred, will continue to jeopardise the future and careers of millions of aspiring youths of this country. In many instances, it has been observed that organised groups and mafia elements are involved. They deploy solver gangs, impersonation methods and indulge in paper leaks. The Bill primarily aims to deter such nefarious elements,” Singh said.

He said, the objective is to bring in a greater transparency, fairness and credibility to the public examination systems and to reassure the youth that their sincere and genuine efforts will be fairly rewarded and their futures are safe.

“The Bill is aimed at effectively and legally deterring persons, organised groups or institutions that indulge in various unfair means and adversely impact the public examination systems for monetary or wrongful gains,” Singh added. The Bill makes “threatening the life, liberty or wrongfully restraining persons associated with the public examination authority or the service provider or any authorised agency of the government; or obstructing the conduct of a public examination” a punishable offence. The Bill shall serve as a model draft for states to adopt at their discretion.

Ministries or departments of the Central government and their attached and subordinate offices for recruitment of staff and any “authority as may be notified by the Central government” for conduct of government job recruitment are also under the ambit of the proposed legislation.