What is Anti Paper Leak Law? Check List of Offences

The Education Ministry and the National Testing Agency (NTA) are currently dealing with accusations of exam paper leaks. In response, the Centre has implemented a new strict law to address malpractice and irregularities in competitive exams. This law, effective from the night of June 21, imposes severe penalties, including a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and fines up to Rs 1 crore for those found guilty. The UGC-NET examination, which was canceled on June 19 due to concerns of compromise and is currently under investigation by the CBI, will not fall under the jurisdiction of the new law.

What is Anti Paper Leak Law?

The government has notified Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) on 22 June 2024. The notification from the Personnel Ministry states: “Under the authority granted by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 (1 of 2024), the Central Government designates June 21, 2024, as the commencement date for the provisions of this Act.”

The Act is designed to prevent the use of unfair methods in public examinations conducted by various bodies, including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), railway recruitment, banking exams, and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others.

List of Offences Under Anti-Paper Leak Law

The Act outlines penalties for various offenses, including:

• Leakage of question papers or answer keys.
• Unauthorized assistance to candidates in public examinations.
• Tampering with computer networks, resources, or systems.

Additional offenses punishable under the law include:

• Creating fake websites to cheat or for financial gain.
• Conducting fake examinations, issuing fake admit cards, or offer letters to cheat or for monetary gain.
• Manipulating seating arrangements, dates, and shifts to facilitate unfair practices in exams.

The Act stipulates:
Anyone engaging in unfair means and offenses under this Act will face imprisonment for a minimum of three years, extendable to five years, and fines up to ₹10 lakh.

Service Provider:

According to the Act, a service provider hired by the public examination authority to conduct examinations can be fined up to ₹1 crore. Additionally, they will be required to cover the proportional costs of the examination.

Furthermore, these service providers will be prohibited from assuming any responsibilities related to conducting public examinations for a duration of four years.