A student in India aims at becoming a successful person in life, but the consequences for which he suffers throughout his life cannot be imagined by people in the bureaucracy. Now, a new bill to prevent cheating in examinations is being introduced on February 5th. On Monday, the Central government presented a bill in the Lok Sabha aimed at addressing misconduct in government recruitment tests, such as the leaking of papers and the proliferation of fraudulent websites.
The proposed legislation includes stringent penalties, including a minimum imprisonment of three years and fines of up to Rs 1 crore. Currently, there is no specific comprehensive law targeting unfair practices or offenses committed by various entities involved in organizing public exams conducted by the central government and its affiliated bodies.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, introduced by Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, identifies actions such as the unauthorized disclosure of question papers or answer keys, providing unauthorized assistance to candidates, and tampering with computer networks, resources, or systems as offenses committed by individuals, groups, or institutions.
However, the bill is supposed to aim at preventing cheating in exams, typically including measures such as:
- Enhanced Security Measures: Implementing stricter protocols to prevent unauthorized access to examination materials and ensuring secure transportation and storage of question papers.
- Technological Solutions: Introducing technologies like encrypted question papers, biometric verification of students, and CCTV surveillance in examination centers to deter cheating.
- Harsher Penalties: Increasing penalties for those caught cheating, including potential criminal charges or disqualification from future examinations.
- Educational Programs: Providing educational initiatives to raise awareness about the consequences of cheating and promote academic integrity among students.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborating with educational institutions, teachers, parents, and students to develop comprehensive strategies for preventing cheating and maintaining the integrity of examinations.
In addition to these provisions, the bill includes actions such as the creation of counterfeit websites for fraudulent purposes, organizing sham examinations, issuing fake admit cards or offer letters for deceitful intentions or financial gain, and manipulating seating arrangements and scheduling to facilitate cheating during exams as punishable offenses under the proposed law.
According to the bill, individuals engaging in unfair practices and offenses outlined in the Act could face imprisonment ranging from three to five years and fines up to ten lakh rupees. Service providers contracted by public examination authorities could also be fined up to Rs 1 crore, with the cost of the examination recovered from them. Furthermore, these service providers may be prohibited from participating in any public examination activities for up to four years.
The bill defines service providers broadly to encompass various entities engaged by public examination authorities for examination conduct, including subcontractors and computer resource providers. It aims to identify and address organized criminal groups and individuals involved in malpractices, with government officials found complicit also being subject to punishment. Threatening the life, liberty, or wrongfully restraining individuals associated with public examination authorities or obstructing examination conduct is deemed punishable under the proposed legislation.
Collusion or conspiracy to facilitate unfair means in public examinations is strictly prohibited, and unauthorized individuals are barred from entering examination centers to disrupt the testing process. The bill emphasizes the adverse impact of malpractices on the aspirations of millions of youth due to examination delays and cancellations. Its objective is to enhance transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examination systems, ensuring that genuine efforts of candidates are duly recognized and rewarded, thereby safeguarding their futures.
The legislation aims to deter individuals, organized groups, or institutions from engaging in unfair practices that undermine public examination systems for monetary or wrongful gains. Candidates authorized by public examination authorities to participate in exams, including those using scribes, are exempt from action under the proposed law.
The bill is intended to serve as a model for states to adopt at their discretion, aiding them in preventing criminal disruptions in state-level public examinations. It mandates investigation of offenses by officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police and applies to recruitment examinations conducted by various entities, including UPSC, SSC, RRBs, IBPS, and NTA.
In conclusion, the bill is promising upon its measured but we have already witnessed Copyright Bill earlier which seems not so working for our education system, would this bill really helpful or not? Question mark added. Jai Hind!