5 to 10 Years in Jail, ₹1 Crore Fine: Centre Notifies Rules Under Anti-Paper Leak Law

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday released the rules for implementing the recently enacted Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. This landmark legislation aims to curb cheating in recruitment exams conducted by various public bodies.

Passed by the Rajya Sabha on February 9 and the Lok Sabha on February 6, the Act received presidential approval on February 12, thereby formalizing its status as law. It introduces stringent penalties, including imprisonment ranging from three to five years for general cases of cheating, and up to ten years plus a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for organized cheating syndicates.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024, dated June 23, made public today, details measures such as engaging other government agencies for support, establishing norms and standards for computer-based testing, and reporting incidents of unfair means. These rules mandate the National Recruitment Agency (NRA), in collaboration with stakeholders, to set guidelines for various aspects of computer-based exams, including registration procedures, test centre infrastructure, and security protocols.

The NRA, tasked with conducting online examinations for government job aspirants, will oversee crucial activities such as candidate check-in, question paper distribution, and post-exam procedures.

The rules also allow the public examination authorities to enlist the services of government employees for exam-related duties and outline procedures for investigating allegations against public servants involved in exam conduct.