Jail term, Rs 10 lakh fine proposed for paper leaks: Bihar's new Bill amid NEET row

The Bihar Assembly approved an anti-paper leak Bill through a voice vote, aimed at strengthening measures against irregularities in critical examinations. The Bill mandates severe penalties for those involved in such malpractices, including prison terms of three to five years and fines of Rs 10 lakh.

The Bihar assembly on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at curbing the scourge of question paper leaks and other malpractices in government recruitment examinations in the state. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary introduced the Bihar Public Examinations (PE) (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, which was approved by voice vote while the opposition abstained. The new law intends to stop cheating in competitive exams, such as question paper leaks, in the state that has been at the core of the NEET 2024 question paper leak scandal.

The newly passed legislation seeks to tackle various forms of examination fraud, including the illegal leakage of question papers, which has recently drawn significant attention due to the NEET 2024 question paper leak controversy. The bill introduces stringent measures to ensure the integrity of competitive examinations in the state.

Under the provisions of the bill, individuals found guilty of engaging in examination-related malpractices will face severe penalties. The legislation prescribes prison sentences ranging from three to five years, along with substantial fines of up to Rs 10 lakh.

Additionally, if a service provider, whether a government entity or a private agency, engages in malpractice, it will face Rs 1 crore fine and a four-year suspension of services. The accused service provider will also be made to provide a portion of the total cost of conducting the examination.

The Bihar government's action demonstrates its dedication to improving the recruiting process's fairness and openness in an effort to regain the public's trust in the state's testing procedures. The passing of the measure is a major step in the right direction towards resolving long-standing issues with test integrity and combating corruption in the hiring industry.