Bill for recruitment exam malpractice to propose 10 years jail term and Rs one crore fine

New Delhi: People involved in malpractices like leaking question papers of recruitment exams for union government jobs may land in jail for up to ten years and a fine of at least Rs one crore, according to a new bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 has identified 20 “offences and unfair means” in recruitment tests, which also include impersonation, manipulation of answer sheets and tampering with documents for shortlisting or finalising the merit or rank of a candidate.

Deliberate violation of security measures to facilitate unfair means in conduct of public exams, manipulation in seating arrangements, conduct of fake examinations and willful violation of norms set by the union government are also among the offences mentioned in the Bill, which will be introduced by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.

If the investigators prove that those involved committed an “organised crime”, the Bill prescribes a minimum jail term of five years that may go up to ten years with a fine that may not be less than Rs one crore. If an institution is involved in it, its property will also be forfeited besides recovering the proportionate cost of examination.

If there is no organised crime angle, the punishment for offences under will be a jail term between three to five years with a fine up to Rs ten lakh.

The Bill, which comes at a time states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh had faced the ire of youth over question paper leaks, is expected to serve as a “model draft for states to adopt at their discretion”.

This would aid States in preventing the criminal elements from disrupting conduct of their state level public examinations, the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill said.

The Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha has mentioned the Bill for passage during the Session and if it is not passed by Lok Sabha, it will lapse as the tenure of the Lower House is ending.

According to the Bill, investigations should be conducted by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police. The union government also has the powers to refer the investigation to any central agency.

The Bill is aimed at bringing “greater transparency, fairness and credibility” to the public examination systems and to reassure the youth that their “sincere and genuine efforts will be fairly rewarded and their future is safe”.

It is also expected to effectively and legally deter persons, organised groups or institutions that indulge in various unfair means and target the public examination systems for monetary or wrongful gains.