Sunday, 12 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Provision of life imprisonment & fine of Rs 10 crore made for those involved in recruitment examination malpractices in new law
After the signature of governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh late on Friday evening, the Uttarakhand Competitive Examinations (measures for control and prevention of unfair means in recruitment) ordinance- 2023 has come into force in the State. As promised by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the new law is very stringent and has a provision for upto life imprisonment and imposition of a fine of upto Rs 10 crore for the culprits involved in the examination related malpractices. The individuals, printing press owners, persons or organisations authorised to keep and transport papers, coaching centres involved in the conspiracy or anyone involved in organised crime are liable to be punished under the law. The new law also authorises the district magistrates to attach and confiscate the property of the offenders. Taking lessons from the release on bail of the offenders such as Hakam Singh and others in the paper leak case of Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC), the State government has made the offences cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable under the new law. It is pertinent to mention here that as many as 25 accused in the UKSSSC scam have got bails.
One of the key features of the ordinance is that the cases registered under the ordinance would be taken up only in a special court. The State government in consultation with the chief justice of the Uttarakhand High Court will designate session courts as special courts for the cases under the law. All the cases under the new law would be investigated by police officers of the rank of additional superintendent of police and above. In an attempt to make the anti-copying law more effective, provisions such as the first investigation report can now be registered without any preliminary enquiry and the investigating officer can make arrests without approval have been made. The examinees found engaged in cheating in the competitive examinations can be imprisoned for three years and would be liable to pay a fine of Rs five lakh under the new law.
Use of indecent language can land examinees in jail
The teachers checking the answer sheets of different examinations usually face the issue of obnoxious language used by some of the examinees in their copies. However in absence of any provision, the examiners had to bear with such candidates and all they could do was to complain to the authority concerned. However in the Uttarakhand Competitive Examinations (measures for control and prevention of unfair means in recruitment) ordinance-2023 promulgated on Friday use of abusive, obscene or indecent language in answer sheet by the candidate can invite severe punitive action. Under the new law, the use of indecent language has been put under the category of the unfair means under which a provision of three years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs five lakhs. Such candidates can also be debarred from all competitive examinations in future.
