LS passes landmark Examination Bill by Dr Jitendra; seeks safeguards for youth, children

STATE TIMES NEWS

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed ‘The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024’ moved by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
Replying to an extensive debate on the Bill in which around 25 MPs from different political parties spoke, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the legislation seeks safeguards for “our youth and children”.
The legislation aims at curbing leaks, malpractices as well as organised malpractices in recruitment examinations like UPSC, SSC etc and entrance tests such as NEET, JEE and CUET.
“Prevention of Unfair Means Bill, 2024” will also cover entrance examinations held by the Union Public Service Commission, the Staff Selection Commission, the Railways, banking recruitment examinations and all computer-based examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency.
Initiating discussion in the house on the Bill, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra said, one after another we have witnessed incidents of malpractices, paper leak, impersonation etc from various parts of the country. In Rajasthan, there have been 12 incidents of malpractices since 2018 while the Sub-Inspector Recruitment scam surfaced in Jammu & Kashmir in March, 2022 and SSC Combined Graduate Exam in 2017, he said.
“There are several instances but prominently, in West Bengal, the Diploma in Elementary Education paper in November, 2022 was leaked, again in the same state in February, 2023 English paper leaked besides School Service Commission, West Bengal also leaked. In December, 2022 Teacher Recruitment Scam unravelled in Rajasthan while in February, 2022 the Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers was also plagued by malpractices and the exam had to re-conducted. In May, 2022 Rajasthan Police Constable Recruitment Exam was hit by a scam,” he said.
Cutting across party lines, Dr Singh said the matter is above politics and that there is no difference of opinion among members of the House. The Bill is aimed at curbing corrupt practice by few unscrupulous elements that plays havoc with the future of our youth, destroying their careers and aspirations and occasionally resulting in fatal suicides, he said.
“The future of our youth up to 40 years of age, who comprise 70% of our population, is at stake, who are stakeholders in the Viksit Bharat of 2047,” he said.
Later, replying to the debate, Dr Jitendra Singh clarified that the students or the candidates appearing in these examinations have been kept out of the purview of Bill and assured that they will continue to be governed as per provisions of the agencies conducting the exams.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, for the first time by this Government, all exams held by the UPSC and SSC are now being conducted in 13 regional languages and efforts are on to conduct exams in all regional 22 Scheduled Languages.
Stating that technology is being widely used by unscrupulous elements, the DoPT Minister said technological solutions will be used to tackle the menace and a surveillance committee will be constituted to address those concerns.
The rationale for bringing this Bill, Dr Jitendra said, is that it specifically addresses issues related to unfair means in the conduct of exams that are not covered under the purview of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act.
The Bill proposes a punishment of a minimum of three to five years of imprisonment to curb cheating and for those involved in organised crimes of cheating will face five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.
The Bill is aimed at preventing organised gangs and institutions that are involved in unfair means for monetary gains, but it protects candidates from its provisions.