Bihar’s new anti-paper leak law and other similar State laws: Explained Premium
The Hindu
Bihar Assembly passes Bill to prevent question paper leaks in government recruitment exams, imposing strict penalties.
The story so far: The Bihar Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill aimed at tackling question paper leaks and other malpractices in government recruitment examinations. The Bihar Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, was tabled by State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and passed with a voice note amidst a walkout by the Opposition.
In recent months, the Bihar government has come under increased scrutiny following an ongoing CBI investigation that revealed that gangs operating in the State were responsible for leaking the question paper of the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance examination. The Bihar Police, Economic Offences Unit (EOU), and CBI have arrested several individuals in connection with the case.
Under the proposed law, all offences are set to be cognizable and non-bailable, with stringent punishments prescribed for those found guilty of malpractices. These penalties include imprisonment ranging from 3 to 5 years and a fine of ₹ 10 lakh. Addressing the House, Mr. Choudhary said that the Bill was “in line” with the central law — the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The newly enacted central legislation addresses the mounting irregularities in public examinations by prescribing imprisonment ranging from 5 to 10 years and a minimum fine of ₹ 1 crore for cases of organised crime. Other States such as Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Rajasthan have introduced similar laws in the recent past.
Bihar has been no stranger to paper leaks which have caused several government recruitment exams to be cancelled. Most recently, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) had to cancel the Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE 3.0) that was originally scheduled for March due to an alleged leak. The exam was rescheduled and conducted again earlier this month.
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Last year, the question paper of the Bihar Constable Recruitment Examination 2023 went viral on social media leading to a cancellation of the exam. Similarly, in 2022, the 67th Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) was cancelled by the BPSC due to a paper leak.
Under the legislation, individuals found guilty of malpractices can face a prison term of 3 to 5 years and a penalty of ₹10 lakh. Agencies responsible for administering these tests, known as service providers, may face a penalty of ₹1 crore, a suspension of their services for up to 4 years, and even the seizure of assets in cases of organised crime. Additionally, a portion of the total cost of conducting such examinations will also be recovered from the offending service providers.