SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Nov. 30: Jharkhand has an effective deterrent now for those who unfairly influence competitive examinations after Governor CP Radhakrishnan gave his nod to the Jharkhand Competitive Examination (Measure for Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Bill, 2023.
The bill, passed by the Assembly in August, had been pending in the Raj Bhawan. The BJP lodged a strong protest against the bill urging the governor to direct the State government to review the draconian measures.
Cheating and punishment
- Jail term for three years and with a fine not less than Rs five lakh.
- Jail term for seven years with a fine not less than Rs 10 lakh for those who repeat the offence of cheating.
- Jail term of 10 years which may extend to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 crores for rigging a competitive examination. Such persons include a coaching centre, printing press, service provider contracted or ordered for examination, management for conducting an examination, any person and organization authorized to keep and transport the examination material, and any employee of the examination authority.
- Jail term of 10 years to life imprisonment for a person who conspires with the examination authority or otherwise indulges in unfair means or contravenes or abets to contravene any of the provisions of the law enacted by the Jharkhand government.
- Jail term of seven years up to 10 years with a fine of Rs one crore to Rs two crores for those who commit theft, extortion or robbery of question papers or destroy by any unauthorized means answer sheet or Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets of any competitive examination.
- Disbarment on conviction: An examinee who is prosecuted for cheating will be debarred, from appearing in all the competitive examinations and interviews held by the examination authority or the board, from the date of the charge sheet filed for a period of two to five years and on conviction for ten years.
