Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 introduced in Lok Sabha

Posted 06 Feb 2024

Updated 22 Mar 2024

2 min read

The objective of the Bill is to bring greater transparency, fairness and credibility to the public examination systems.
- It will supplement the other initiative government in this direction such as introducing self-attestation; shortening examination cycle (from 18-22 months to 6-10 months), etc.
Will serve as a model draft for States to adopt at their discretion.

Need of the Bill:
- Malpractices in public examinations lead to delays and cancellation of examinations adversely impacting the prospects of millions of youth.
  - Reportedly, over the last five years , leaks affected as many as 1.4 crore applicants applying for a little over 1.04 lakh posts.
- At present, there is no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed.

Key Features of the Bill:
- Coverage- Examinations held by the Union Public Service Commission, the Staff Selection Commission, Railways, National Testing Agency etc.
- Offences: Will be cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable (involved parties cannot compromise).
- Provisions for Punishment-
  - Minimum of 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.
  - Organized crimes group will face 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has also decided to set up a High level National Technical Committee on Public Examinations.
- It shall look into developing protocol for insulating digital platforms, devising ways and means for developing effective IT security system.

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