What is Odisha's proposed anti-cheating law?

• The Odisha government has decided to enact a new law with stringent penal provisions to check cheating and other discrepancies in public examinations conducted by various recruitment agencies of the state.

Highlights:

• The Odisha government has introduced the Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, aiming to curb malpractice in public recruitment examinations. This new law seeks to address systemic issues like cheating, question paper leaks, and organized crimes that compromise the integrity of public examinations.

Key Offences Under the Law:

• The proposed legislation outlines several actions as punishable offences, including:
• Cheating and Malpractice:
  • Leaking question papers or providing unauthorized solutions during exams.
  • Tampering with answer sheets or documents to manipulate results.
• Security Violations:
  • Breaching security protocols to enable unfair means.
  • Tampering with computer networks or systems used for examinations.
• Fraudulent Activities:
  • Manipulating seating arrangements or creating fake websites for monetary gain.
• Service Provider Violations:
  • Conducting examinations in unauthorized premises without written approval.

Stringent Punishments

• The law prescribes severe penalties to deter unfair practices:
• Individuals:
  • Unfair Means: Imprisonment of 3 to 5 years and fines up to ₹10 lakh.
  • Organized Crime: Imprisonment of 5 to 10 years and fines of at least ₹1 crore.
• Service Providers:
  • Fines up to ₹1 crore and recovery of examination costs.
  • Disqualification from conducting public exams for four years.
  • Senior management or directors involved face 3 to 10 years in prison and fines up to ₹1 crore.
• Institutions:
  • Property forfeiture and recovery of examination costs for organized crimes.
• Investigation:
  • Only officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) can investigate offences under this law.

Need for the Law

• The law comes in response to growing public outcry over malpractice in recruitment exams:
• Protests: Job seekers have protested discrepancies in recruitment exams for posts such as revenue inspectors and statistical officers.
• Security Lapses: Allegations of examinations being conducted in insecure venues like cybercafés and small computer centers.
• Notable Incidents:
  • The Odisha Staff Selection Commission had to cancel an exam for 1,225 vacancies due to a question paper leak.

Impact of the Law

• If enacted, the law is expected to:
  • Enhance Exam Integrity: Strengthen trust in public examination systems.
  • Deterrence: Discourage organized groups and individuals from exploiting loopholes for personal gain.
  • Institutional Accountability: Hold service providers and institutions accountable for ensuring secure examination processes.

Prelims Takeaways

• Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024