Lok Sabha Passes Public Examinations Bill 2024

The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examinations Bill of 2024, marking a significant legislative development in the realm of education assessment and administration.

Lok Sabha Passes Public Examinations Bill 2024

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New Delhi: The Lok Sabha passed an 'anti-cheating' bill on Tuesday aimed at combating fraudulent practices, including the leakage of exam papers, in government recruitment examinations. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill will now proceed to the Rajya Sabha and, upon clearance, will be presented to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent, formalizing it into law.

Under the provisions of this bill, students participating in competitive exams with genuine intentions will not be penalised. However, individuals involved in the leakage of exam papers or tampering with answer sheets, through collusion with officials, will be subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years and fined up to ₹1 crore.

Piloting The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said its provisions are meant to safeguard the interest of meritorious students and candidates. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha after rejecting amendments proposed by the opposition members.

Singh said the government "will not allow meritorious (candidates) to be sacrificed at the alter of organised crimes".

He added that the students and candidates do not fall in the purview of this bill and there will ne no harm to job aspirants.

The recent introduction of the 'anti-cheating' bill by the Lok Sabha comes in response to a series of exam cancellations due to leaks, including the teacher recruitment exam in Rajasthan, the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for Group-D posts in Haryana, junior clerks' recruitment exam in Gujarat, and constable recruitment examination in Bihar. The bill also proposes the establishment of a high-level national technical committee on public examinations to enhance the security of computerized examination processes.

This committee will be tasked with developing protocols to safeguard digital platforms, devising foolproof IT security systems, ensuring electronic surveillance of examination centers, and formulating national standards and services for both IT and physical infrastructure utilized in such examinations. Notably, organized groups and mafia elements often engage in malpractices such as deploying solver gangs, using impersonation methods, and engaging in paper leaks, prompting the need for stricter measures.

The primary objective of the bill is to deter such nefarious activities, instilling greater transparency, fairness, and credibility in the public examination systems. President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the government's commitment to addressing youth concerns regarding irregularities in examinations during her address at the beginning of the Budget session on January 31.

While responding to criticism regarding centralization, the government emphasized its belief in cooperative federalism, asserting that the bill does not aim to centralize all systems. However, the re-examination of canceled exams may not have a firm timeline, as investigative agencies often take their own time to examine such cases.

During the debate on the bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury highlighted the need for preventive measures in addition to penal provisions and accused the government of centralizing authorities. Meanwhile, TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee stressed the importance of implementing existing laws effectively rather than enacting new ones. Despite some opposition, the majority of members expressed support for the bill.