Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 is a recently passed legislation in India aiming to curb cheating and uphold the integrity of public examinations.

Background
The government felt the need to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, due to several concerns regarding cheating and malpractices in public examinations.

Instances of cheating in various public examinations, including entrance exams like State PSCs, and even school board exams, have been repeatedly reported. These cases involved practices like paper leaks, organized cheating gangs, impersonation, and electronic device usage.

Provisions
The Act outlines several key provisions to curb cheating and promote fair conduct in public examinations. Here's a breakdown of some major points:

Defining Unfair Means:


 * The Act broadly defines "unfair means" to include various malpractices, such as:
 * Leaking question papers or answer keys
 * Assisting candidates during exams (unauthorized communication, providing solutions)
 * Tampering with computer networks or resources
 * Impersonating candidates
 * Conducting fake examinations or issuing fake documents
 * Tampering with documents for merit lists or ranks

Penalties and Punishments:


 * Individuals:
 * Imprisonment ranging from 3 to 10 years depending on the offense severity
 * Fines up to Rs. 1 crore for organized crimes
 * Service providers:
 * Fines up to Rs. 1 crore for involvement in malpractices
 * Barring from conducting public examinations for 4 years
 * Personal liability for directors/management involved
 * Organized crimes:
 * Harsher penalties, with imprisonment between 5 and 10 years and a minimum fine of Rs. 1 crore
 * Institution involved can face property attachment and forfeiture

Empowering Authorities:
 * Conduct surprise checks at exam centers and seize electronic devices if suspected foul play
 * Blacklist service providers found guilty of malpractices
 * Share information and coordinate across agencies to effectively tackle organized cheating

Additional Measures:
 * Establishing specialized courts for speedy trial of offenses
 * Promoting public awareness about the bill and its implications