Following the massive uproar over the leak of question paper in the Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers (REET) exam last year, the Ashok Gehlot-led government of the state congress introduced a bill on March 24 to stop unfair practices in public inquiry. The Rajasthan Public Examination Act 2022 has proposed a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 10 crore for offenses such as paper leaks and cheating in recruitment exams. The bill was passed by vote in the Rajasthan state assembly.
The passed bill prohibits the use of any place other than the exam center for holding the public exams. In the event of an offense committed by the board of directors, the institution or a limited liability company or others, any person responsible for conducting the examination shall be found guilty of the offense. They are liable for all costs and expenses related to the investigation determined by the court; and will be barred from all future exam activities.
Any examinee found guilty of using unfair means will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh along with exclusion from public inquiry for a period of two years. In case of non-payment of a fine, the examinee will be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term of nine months.
All offenses specified in the newly enacted law are known, non-payable and non-binding.
Any person found guilty of conspiracy or otherwise surrendering, attempting, or being complicit in violating any of the provisions of the Act shall be liable to imprisonment for at least five years, which may be extended to ten years.
In such cases, the convicted person must also pay a fine of not less than Rs 10 lakh but can be up to Rs 2 crore. If the fine is not paid, the person is liable for a prison term of two years.
The law also authorizes the investigating officer (IO) to seize or seize the suspect’s property with prior approval from the state government. The IO also informs the designated court of the attachment within 48 hours. The court then has the right to confirm or revoke the attachment. The Rajasthan government hopes the new law will help curb unfair means in all future public examinations.
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