The Government has officially put into effect a stringent law designed to crack down on misconduct and irregularities in competitive exams, with penalties including up to 10 years in prison and fines as high as Rs 1 crore for offenders. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 received assent from President Droupadi Murmu nearly four months ago, and the Personnel Ministry has now issued a notification confirming its implementation starting June 21.
This development comes amidst heightened concerns following the alleged question paper leak for the UGC-NET 2024 exam, prompting a CBI investigation. Opposition parties have also raised issues regarding irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam results declared by the National Testing Agency on June 4.
The notification states, "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 (1 of 2024), the Central Government hereby appoints the 21st day of June, 2024, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force."
This announcement follows queries directed at Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan regarding the timeline for implementation, with the minister indicating that the law ministry was in the process of formulating the rules.
The legislation was passed by the Rajya Sabha on February 9 and the Lok Sabha on February 6, subsequently receiving presidential approval on February 12. Aimed at preventing unfair practices in exams conducted by bodies such as UPSC, SSC, railways, banking recruitment exams, and NTA, the Act imposes penalties ranging from three to ten years imprisonment for various forms of cheating.
Prior to this law, there was no comprehensive legislation addressing misconduct in public exams conducted by central government and its agencies. The Act seeks to combat organized cheating syndicates and safeguard exam integrity, as highlighted by Union Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh.
