Lok Sabha passes 'anti-cheating' bill; here's all you need to know about Public Examinations Bill

Public Examinations Bill: Lok Sabha passed an 'anti-cheating' bill to prevent fraudulent practices in government recruitment exams, such as the leak of exam papers on Tuesday.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill will now be introduced in the Rajya Sabha and, once passed, presented to President Droupadi Murmu for her approval before becoming law.

Here's all you need to know about 'anti-cheating' bill 

This bill does not target students who take competitive exams in good faith (i.e., do not knowingly seek to profit from cheating). Those who collude with officials to leak exam papers or tamper with answer sheets can face up to 10 years in jail and a ₹1 crore fine.

Significantly, all offences under this bill will be cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, which means that police will be able to act on their own (and arrest suspects without a warrant), the accused will not be entitled to bail, and the alleged offences cannot be resolved through compromise.

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The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill lists "leakage of question paper, or answer key" and "directly or indirectly assisting the candidate in any (unauthorised) manner" as some of the offences.

Others include "creation of fake website(s) to cheat or for monetary gain" and "conducting fake examinations or issuing fake admit cards and/or offer letters for similar ends."

Public Examinations Bill: Punishments

According to the bill, any person or group found guilty of leaking a paper or tampering with answer sheets will face a minimum three-year jail sentence. This can be extended for five years, with a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.

Failure to report a potential offence can result in a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for service providers and a jail sentence of up to 10 years for senior managers.

Those found guilty of the "organised crime of paper leak" may face jail terms of five to ten years and fines of up to ₹1 crore.

Any complaints will be investigated by an officer with a rank of at least Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police.

The bill applies to recruitment examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, and the National Testing Agency, among others.

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