1. The central government enacts the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
2. Aims to combat unfair practices in national exams and common entrance tests.
3. Response to controversies surrounding NEET and UGC NET exam malpractices.
New Delhi, June 22: The central government has enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, in response to controversies surrounding alleged malpractices during the NEET and UGC NET exams, aiming to combat unfair practices nationwide.
Passed by Parliament in February, the law imposes strict penalties: a minimum of three to five years imprisonment for cheating, escalating to five to ten years for organized cheating, along with a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.
Institutions involved in organized paper leaks may face property attachment and financial penalties covering examination costs.
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Candidates themselves are protected under existing unfair means policies of exam authorities. ‘Unfair means’ under the law include leaking papers, aiding candidates illicitly, tampering with networks or resources, impersonation, conducting fake exams, and manipulating documents for ranks or lists.
Offenses under the law are non-bailable, with investigations handled by officers, not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police. The central government may also assign investigations to central agencies.
The Act applies to exams by bodies like UPSC, SSC, Railways, banking recruitment, and NTA-conducted computer-based tests, emphasizing national efforts to uphold examination integrity.
