Assam govt tables anti-cheating bill, upto Rs 10 cr fine if caught using unfair means

Guwahati, Feb 5: On the first day of the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, the Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Bill, 2024, was introduced on Monday to provide effective measures to prevent and curb the offences of leakage of question papers and use of unfair means at public examinations.

According to the bill, the offender will be awarded imprisonment of five years to ten years or imposition of Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 10 crore penalties and in case of default of fine, further imprisonment of two years.

“Clause 10(2) of the Bill empowers the Government to punish any person including examinee, whether entrusted or authorised with a conduct of public examination or not, indulging any attempt of leak, to procure, sell, to print, to solve question paper, directly or indirectly to assist examinee in unauthorised manner, to conduct examination in not designated centres or print question papers or blank answer scripts in not designated printing press, with imprisonment of 5 years to 10 years or fine 10 lakh to 10 crore and in case of default of fine, further imprisonment of two years,” the memorandum regarding delegated legislations reads.

Notably, the bill comes after the paper leakage incident during the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination 2023 drew criticisms.

Meanwhile, the Central Government also introduced the Public Examination Bill 2024 in the Parliament. The bill makes a provision for ten years imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 crore if paper leak and examination irregularities are detected.