Bihar assembly passes bill to curb paper leaks

In Bihar, the state assembly passed a stringent bill to curb paper leak cases, malpractices and irregularities in government competitive examinations.

Key-highlights of the Bihar Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024

• Penalty:The Bill proposes a jail sentence from three years to 10 years and a penalty of up to one crore rupees in serious cases. There is the provision of stringent punishment for convicted candidates who are involved in paper leak cases and malpractices which includes sentences to jail terms from three to five years and penalty up to 10 lakh rupees.
• As per the provisions of the Bill, all the competitive recruitment and entrance examinations conducted by government agencies will come under its mandate.
  • The Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar University Service Commission, Bihar Staff Service Commission, Bihar Technical Services Commission, Central Selection Board of Constables, Bihar Police Sub-Ordinate Services Commission and other notified authorities will come under the mandate of the bill.
• All the charges of paper leak cases have been made cognizable offences in this bill.
• In the Bill, there is a provision for seizure of the assets of convicts who are entrusted to hold examinations.

Factors responsible for cheating and exam leaks

India’s examination system is in chaos. To be sure, cheating and paper leaks have long plagued exams. But now, major exams managed by the state-run National Testing Agency (NTA).

• Over-emphasis that has been placed on passing exams.
• Societal pressure is another major cause for cheating
• Despite decades of rapid economic growth, India has been slow to reform its higher education system.
• Many unfair practices also go unnoticed and the culprits go scot-free.
• Setting question papers and their printing and transport to examination centres, and transporting the completed answer (or OMR) sheets to the evaluation centres, have all been wrought with loopholes. 

Impact:

• Inequality: Cheating in government exams perpetuates inequalities by favoring those who can afford to pay for leaked exam papers or engage in fraudulent activities, while disadvantaging those who rely on their hard work and merit to succeed.
• Undermined principle:Cheating in government exams undermines the principles of meritocracy and equal opportunities.
• Brain drain: In 2022, more than 750,000 Indians went abroad to study - almost double the number in 2018, according to the foreign ministry data.
• Incompetency:It could lead to the recruitment of incompetent or unqualified individuals in key government positions, which could have detrimental effects on public service delivery, governance, and overall development.