New Delhi: The Budget Session of the Parliament opened on January 31, 2024, with President of India Droupadi Murmu’s joint address at the New Parliament Building, which highlighted the Modi government’s successes and India’s achievements in previous years. Today, on the second day of the Budget Session, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Interim Budget 2024 to Parliament. According to rumors, in addition to the Budget 2024, the government will introduce legislation to combat exam malpractice in the country. Read on to learn more about this bill.
Govt To Bring Bill To Tackle Exam Malpractices
According to reports, the Centre is planning to introduce a bill in Parliament’s budget session to effectively deter individuals, organized groups, or institutions from using unfair means to negatively impact public examination systems for wrongful gains. According to an ANI report, the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill will include strict prohibitions against malpractices. Students in various states have suffered in the past as exams were cancelled owing to malpractices such as paper leaks.
Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill
The bill, which focuses on competitive and admission exams, will establish a high-level technical council to address cyber security concerns in public examinations. The law could significantly increase the penalties for malpractices, potentially up to ten years in prison and a fine of Rs one crore; crimes may also be non-bailable. The administration is scheduled to submit the Bill, which does not target students, in Parliament next week.
According to ANI, the bill’s goal is to increase openness, justice, and credibility in public examination systems, as well as to reassure young people that their real and genuine efforts will be fairly rewarded and their futures are secure. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill will apply to UPSC and Staff Selection Commission exams, as well as admission tests like NEET and JEE. Bona fide candidates and students, as defined in the Bill, are not accountable for actions under the Bill.
There is currently no explicit substantive law at the national level to deal with unfair means used or offenses committed by individuals, organized groups, or any other agency or organization that has a negative influence on the Central Government’s and its agencies’ ability to conduct public examinations.
The Budget Session will, like in previous years, be focused on the presentation of the Budget. This is FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s sixth consecutive budget presentation to Parliament.
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