Gujarat Guv gives assent to stringent bill to tackle exam paper leaks; imprisonment up to 10 years

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat has given his assent to a Bill brought by the states BJP government in the ongoing Budget session to curb recruitment exam paper leaks which prescribes jail up to 10 years to those involved in such malpractices and may face fines of up to Rs 1 croreThe Gujarat Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Bill 2023 was unanimously passed in the House on February 24 and Governor Devvrat has given his assent Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said on MondayAs per provisions of the Bill those involved in malpractices like exam paper leaks could be jailed for up to 10 years and may face fines of up to Rs 1 croreThe legislation is meant to punish those who either leak a question paper of a recruitment exam procure a question paper in an unauthorised manner or solve such a paper illegallyThe Bill says any candidate indulging in such activities will be punished with imprisonment up to three years and shall also be liable for a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakhAlso Read Gujarat govt purchased electricity worth Rs 8160 crore from Adani Power in 202122 Assembly toldA person who obstructs or threatens any member of the inspection team or a person appointed by the examination authority shall be punished with imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakhAny person including an examinee who indulges in unfair means or contravenes any of the provisions of the Act shall be punished with imprisonment of five years which may extend up to 10 yearsMoreover such an accused shall also be liable for a fine which shall not be less than Rs 10 lakh and which may extend to Rs 1 croreIf any person in an organised crime in conspiracy with the examination authority indulges in unfair means he shall be punished with seven years of imprisonment which may extend to 10 years with a fine of Rs 1 crore said the billIt said a court can also order attachment of the assets of convicted persons involved in organised crimeA person convicted under this Act shall be debarred from any public examination for two years it addedIf a person associated with an institution is found guilty under this Act such a business entity or institution shall be liable to pay all cost and expenditure related to the public examination and shall be banned forever the Bill lays downAny offence committed under the Act shall be investigated by a police officer not below the rank of police inspector but preferably by a deputy superintendent of policeIncidentally the Bill comes weeks after the question paper of the panchayat junior clerk examination scheduled for January 29 got leakedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever