Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to frame the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, aimed at preventing malpractice in public examinations across the state.
According to an official release, the Act is intended to curb various forms of unfair practices, including impersonation, cheating, exam disruptions, unauthorized entry into exam halls, and premature leakage of exam-related information.
This Act will apply to examinations conducted by bodies such as the Odisha Public Service Commission, Odisha Staff Selection Commission, Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission, Service Selection Board, Odisha Police Selection Board, the State Selection Board under the Odisha Education (Selection Board for the State) Rules, 1992, and the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination, as regulated by the Odisha Professional Educational Institution (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee) Act, 2007.
It will also apply to examinations overseen by state government departments and their affiliated offices, as well as any additional authorities notified by the government.
All offences under this Act will be classified as cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable. Individuals found guilty of employing unfair means or disrupting examinations will face imprisonment ranging from three to five years, along with fines of up to Rs10 lakh.
Additionally, any service provider involved in such malpractice will be subject to a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, with the cost of the disrupted examination being recoverable from the provider.
In cases of default on payment of the fine, further imprisonment will be imposed as per the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
