Read on the application
Amid the NEET and UGC NET paper leak controversy, the central government implemented a strict law to prevent malpractices and manipulation in recruitment and entrance exams. Under this law, if found guilty, there is a provision of a maximum imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to 1 crore rupees. This new law of the government is called – Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024. All offline online recruitment and entrance exams conducted by UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Board, IBPS (Banking Recruitment Examination), NTA (JEE Main, NEET and CUET) will come under the purview of this Act. The main objective of this Act is to prevent the use of unfair means in these examinations. Before this Act, there was no specific law to deal with any manipulation or crime committed by the various agencies conducting the examinations.
A minimum of three to five years in prison for preventing counterfeiting and five to ten years in prison for those involved in such organized crime. The law also provides for a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore. If the service provider is found guilty, he will be fined up to Rs 1 crore. All objections hereunder shall be cognizable and non-bailable. In cognizable offences, it is the duty of the police to investigate the case without the permission of the Magistrate. The new law will not apply to board examinations or regular university examinations. No officer below the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police shall investigate offenses under the Act.
Section 3 of the Bill lists at least 15 acts which include using unfair means in public examinations to obtain financial or unfair advantage.
These acts include-
1- Leaking the exam question paper or its answers or answer key so that the candidate can get any kind of help.
2. Possession of question paper or Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheet without authority.
3. Tampering with examination computer network or other equipment.
4. Issuance of fake admit card of examination. or issuing fake offer letters.
5. To give answers to the candidates at the examination centre
6. Tampering with OMR sheets or answer sheets.
7. Conducting mock exams for financial gain.
8. Tampering with documents.
9. Disturbing the seating arrangement,
10. Involve anyone in leaking question paper or answer key.
11. Directly or indirectly assisting the candidate in any unauthorized manner in the examination.
12. Making changes in assessment except to correct genuine error without any authority.
13. Willful violation of security measures to facilitate unreasonable means in the conduct of public examination.
14. Intimidation, threat to liberty, wrongful restraint or obstructing the work of any examining authority.
15. Premature disclosure of confidential information relating to examination.