NEET Paper Leak: 1 crore fine and 10 years imprisonment... Instructions to issue SOP regarding 'Anti-Paper Leak Law'

The central government on Monday made public the rules under the recently notified anti-paper leak law. In this, the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) was directed to prepare norms, standards, and guidelines for computer-based tests. The rules were notified within a few days of the implementation of the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

First national law against prevention of rigging in examinations

Before this law, there was no specific concrete law to deal with unfair means or crimes adopted by various entities or people involved in the conduct of public examinations by the Central Government and its agencies. In other words, this is the first national law against rigging and prevention of unfair means in recruitment examinations. This bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on February 6 and in the Rajya Sabha on February 9.

Five to 10 years imprisonment for the guilty

On February 13, President Draupadi Murmu gave her approval to it. The purpose of this law is to prevent unfair means in public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railways, Banking Recruitment Examinations, and others including NTA. It provides for a minimum imprisonment of three to five years to curb cheating and a provision of five to 10 years imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for those involved in organized crimes of cheating.

Guidelines ready

Overall, the purpose of this strict law is to prevent malpractice and irregularities in public examinations and common entrance examinations conducted across the country and to bring transparency, fairness, and credibility. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024, were issued on June 23 and made public on Monday. It has provisions for taking services of other government agencies by the Public Examination Authority, preparing norms, standards, and guidelines, and reporting incidents of unfair means or crimes, etc.

Notified by Central Government

The rules state that the NRA, on behalf of the Central Government, in consultation with the stakeholders, shall formulate norms, standards, and guidelines for the computer-based test mode of examination as may be notified by the Central Government. This should include standard operating procedures for registration of public examination centers, space requirements within the computer-based examination centers, layout of seating arrangements, specifications and layout of computer nodes, specifications for server and network infrastructure, and specifications of the electronic platform for conducting the computer-based test, etc.

Screening of candidates

Guidelines for setting and loading of question papers, examination monitoring, post-examination activities, and provision of scribes will also be part of the draft norms. The NRA is empowered to conduct online examinations for screening of government job aspirants.

Examination-related duties

The new rules allow the Public Examinations Authority to avail the services of serving or retired employees of the Central Government, State Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Public Sector Banks, Government Universities, Autonomous Bodies, and other Government organizations to perform the duties of the Centre Coordinator or any other public examination-related duties assigned to it. They also mention provisions for reporting incidents of unfair means or offenses and the procedure to be followed in respect of the public servant.

Committee constituted by the Public Examinations Authority

It states that on receipt of a report from the Regional Officer or others regarding the actions of the public servant appointed for the conduct of public examination, the Public Examinations Authority shall examine whether the action taken by the public servant in the conduct of the public examination was correct.

The rules state that a committee may be constituted by the Public Examinations Authority for this purpose which shall be headed by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary or equivalent and shall consist of a senior officer of the Public Examinations Authority and an expert nominated by the Public Examinations Authority.