UP government to introduce strict measures to curb exam paper leaks

Lucknow: Amid nationwide protests by Opposition parties demanding action against recent leaks in key entrance exams such as NEET and UGC-NET, the Uttar Pradesh government is set to introduce a new law to combat exam paper leaks and dismantle ‘solver gangs.’

Following the blacklisting of a company allegedly involved in the UP Police Recruitment paper leak, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to prepare a draft for the new law, which is expected to be enacted soon. Sources indicate that the law will include severe penalties for those involved in leaking papers and operating solver gangs, with provisions for heavy fines, bulldozer actions, and imprisonment. In light of recent controversies, the UP government announced new measures to ensure the integrity of the examination process. These include a policy to halt paper counting, requiring each examination shift to feature at least two different sets of papers printed by separate agencies, and implementing systematic paper coding procedures.

Only government secondary schools, degree colleges, universities, polytechnics, engineering colleges, medical colleges, or reputable educational institutions with clean records will be designated as examination centers. These centers will be equipped with CCTV systems, and four distinct agencies will handle different aspects of conducting recruitment tests.

Candidates will be required to travel outside their home divisions to take the exams, except for disabled individuals and women. If the number of candidates exceeds 4 lakh, the examination will be conducted in two phases.

To prevent tampering with results, the scanning of OMR sheets will be conducted by the Commission and the Board themselves. Question papers will feature secret codes and confidential security features, such as unique barcodes, QR codes, and serial numbers on each page, to

ensure traceability.