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The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 is a recently passed legislation in India aiming to curb cheating and uphold the integrity of public examinations.[1][2][3]
| Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of India | |
| |
| Citation | Act No. 1 of 2024 |
| Territorial extent |  |
| Passed by | Lok Sabha |
| Passed | 6 February 2024 |
| Passed by | Rajya Sabha |
| Passed | 9 February 2024 |
| Assented to by | President Droupadi Murmu |
| Assented to | 25 February 2024 |
| Commenced | 21 June 2024 |
| Legislative history | |
| Initiating chamber: Lok Sabha | |
| Bill title | Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 |
| Bill citation | Bill No. 15 of 2024 |
| Introduced by | Jitendra Singh, MoS for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions |
| Introduced | 5 February 2024 |
| Passed | 6 February 2024 |
| Voting summary |
|
| Revising chamber: Rajya Sabha | |
| Passed | 9 February 2024 |
| Voting summary |
|
| Final stages | |
| Finally passed both chambers | 9 February 2024 |
| Amends | |
| Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944 (Ordinance 38 of 1944) | |
| Status: In force | |
Background
editThe government felt the need to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, due to several concerns regarding cheating and malpractices in public examinations.[4][5]
Instances of cheating in various public examinations, including entrance exams like State PSCs, and even school board exams, have been repeatedly reported.[6] These cases involved practices like paper leaks, organized cheating gangs, impersonation, and electronic device usage.[7][8]
Provisions
editThe Act outlines several key provisions to curb cheating and promote fair conduct in public examinations. Here's a breakdown of some major points:[9][10]
Defining Unfair Means:
- The Act broadly defines "unfair means" to include various malpractices, such as:
- Leaking question papers or answer keys
- Assisting candidates during exams (unauthorized communication, providing solutions)
- Tampering with computer networks or resources
- Impersonating candidates
- Conducting fake examinations or issuing fake documents
- Tampering with documents for merit lists or ranks
Penalties and Punishments:[11]
- Individuals:
- Imprisonment ranging from 3 to 10 years depending on the offense severity
- Fines up to Rs. 1 crore for organized crimes
- Service providers:
- Fines up to Rs. 1 crore for involvement in malpractices
- Barring from conducting public examinations for 4 years
- Personal liability for directors/management involved
- Organized crimes:
- Harsher penalties, with imprisonment between 5 and 10 years and a minimum fine of Rs. 1 crore
- Institution involved can face property attachment and forfeiture
Empowering Authorities:
- Conduct surprise checks at exam centers and seize electronic devices if suspected foul play[12]
- Blacklist service providers found guilty of malpractices
- Share information and coordinate across agencies to effectively tackle organized cheating
Additional Measures:
- Establishing specialized courts for speedy trial of offenses
- Promoting public awareness about the bill and its implications
References
edit- ↑ "Explained: What is the Public Examinations Bill 2024". NDTV.
- ↑ "Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Check Paper Leaks in Government Recruitment Exams". The Wire.
- ↑ "Lok Sabha clears Bill to curb paper leaks, cheating in public exams". India Today.
- ↑ "Protests continue for second day over Telangana PSC question paper leak". 15 March 2023.
- ↑ "As Paper Leaks Rock Uttarakhand, Police's Treatment of Protesters Come as a Fresh Blow". The Wire.
- ↑ "Police arrests 4 accused in Madhya Pradesh Board Class 10 and 12 question paper leak case". cnbctv18. 20 March 2023.
- ↑ "After Rajasthan paper leak spree under Gehlot's regime, BJP's litmus test today". India Today.
- ↑ "Exam paper leaks: Mounting cases, aspirants affected, parties have made it an election issue". Indian Express. 6 February 2024.
- ↑ "Parliament Clears Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024". Live Law. 9 February 2024.
- ↑ "Parliament passes Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill to tackle unfair practices in public exams". Bar and Bench. 9 February 2024.
- ↑ "Explained: What's in the new Public Examinations Bill, aimed at stopping cheating in exams?". Indian Express. 6 February 2024.
- ↑ "Centre proposes law to tighten noose on examination malpractices, introduces new Bill in Lok Sabha". Hindustan Times. 5 February 2024.
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