5-10 years in jail, Rs 1 crore fine: How govt aims to tighten paper leak laws
PM Modi on Thursday vowed to tighten laws aimed at preventing question paper leaks. The announcement came amid Cockroach Janta Party's agitation demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over NEET-related irregularities.
The central government is preparing to tighten existing anti-cheating laws, sources said. This came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of question paper leaks in a video message.
The sources said that the government seeks to introduce amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The proposed changes may receive approval at the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held later in the day, the sources said on Friday.
In line with PM Modi's announcement, a provision to establish fast-track courts to deal with instances of paper leak may also be added to the legislation, the sources added.
The special courts may also be given additional powers to ensure swifter trials, per the sources. They further said that the proposed provisions would also lead to more stringent terms of imprisonment and fines.
The punishment may be increased from three to five years of imprisonment to 5–10 years in prison, according to sources. They added that the minimum fine could also be raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Presently, in individual cases, the law provides for 3 to 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs10 lakh. Moreover, for service providers involved in the conduct of a public examination, indulging in malpractices may invite a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore.
Meanwhile, the current provisions call for 5–10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for members of organised networks involved in examination malpractices.
PM VOWS STRICT ACTION ON PAPER LEAKS
On Thursday, PM Modi said that a bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament next week.
He made the announcement in a video posted on X shortly before midnight. He said the contours of the proposed legislation would be discussed at a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Friday.
"The cabinet will discuss the issue of paper leaks on Friday and taking suggestions of the cabinet colleagues, further action would be finalised," PM Modi said in the video message.
"On Monday, when the second week of the Monsoon session of Parliament will begin, a bill will be brought with provisions for strong action against paper leaks, and we will try to pass it as early as possible," he stated in the selfie video.
PM Modi's message came less than two hours before Sonam Wangchuk broke his prolonged hunger strike at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
The 59-year-old activist had been on a fast for 26 days. The indefinite hunger strike was part of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP's) broader agitation to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over NEET-related irregularities.
The central government is preparing to tighten existing anti-cheating laws, sources said. This came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of question paper leaks in a video message.
The sources said that the government seeks to introduce amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The proposed changes may receive approval at the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held later in the day, the sources said on Friday.
In line with PM Modi's announcement, a provision to establish fast-track courts to deal with instances of paper leak may also be added to the legislation, the sources added.
The special courts may also be given additional powers to ensure swifter trials, per the sources. They further said that the proposed provisions would also lead to more stringent terms of imprisonment and fines.
The punishment may be increased from three to five years of imprisonment to 5–10 years in prison, according to sources. They added that the minimum fine could also be raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Presently, in individual cases, the law provides for 3 to 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs10 lakh. Moreover, for service providers involved in the conduct of a public examination, indulging in malpractices may invite a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore.
Meanwhile, the current provisions call for 5–10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for members of organised networks involved in examination malpractices.
PM VOWS STRICT ACTION ON PAPER LEAKS
On Thursday, PM Modi said that a bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament next week.
He made the announcement in a video posted on X shortly before midnight. He said the contours of the proposed legislation would be discussed at a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Friday.
"The cabinet will discuss the issue of paper leaks on Friday and taking suggestions of the cabinet colleagues, further action would be finalised," PM Modi said in the video message.
"On Monday, when the second week of the Monsoon session of Parliament will begin, a bill will be brought with provisions for strong action against paper leaks, and we will try to pass it as early as possible," he stated in the selfie video.
PM Modi's message came less than two hours before Sonam Wangchuk broke his prolonged hunger strike at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
The 59-year-old activist had been on a fast for 26 days. The indefinite hunger strike was part of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP's) broader agitation to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over NEET-related irregularities.
The central government is preparing to tighten existing anti-cheating laws, sources said. This came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of question paper leaks in a video message.
The sources said that the government seeks to introduce amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The proposed changes may receive approval at the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held later in the day, the sources said on Friday.
In line with PM Modi's announcement, a provision to establish fast-track courts to deal with instances of paper leak may also be added to the legislation, the sources added.
The special courts may also be given additional powers to ensure swifter trials, per the sources. They further said that the proposed provisions would also lead to more stringent terms of imprisonment and fines.
The punishment may be increased from three to five years of imprisonment to 5–10 years in prison, according to sources. They added that the minimum fine could also be raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Presently, in individual cases, the law provides for 3 to 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs10 lakh. Moreover, for service providers involved in the conduct of a public examination, indulging in malpractices may invite a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore.
Meanwhile, the current provisions call for 5–10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for members of organised networks involved in examination malpractices.
PM VOWS STRICT ACTION ON PAPER LEAKS
On Thursday, PM Modi said that a bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament next week.
He made the announcement in a video posted on X shortly before midnight. He said the contours of the proposed legislation would be discussed at a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Friday.
"The cabinet will discuss the issue of paper leaks on Friday and taking suggestions of the cabinet colleagues, further action would be finalised," PM Modi said in the video message.
"On Monday, when the second week of the Monsoon session of Parliament will begin, a bill will be brought with provisions for strong action against paper leaks, and we will try to pass it as early as possible," he stated in the selfie video.
PM Modi's message came less than two hours before Sonam Wangchuk broke his prolonged hunger strike at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
The 59-year-old activist had been on a fast for 26 days. The indefinite hunger strike was part of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP's) broader agitation to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over NEET-related irregularities.
