Odisha Govt To Bring Law To Curb Unfair Means In OPSC & Other Exams; Check Penal Provisions

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to bring a law to curb unfair means, including cheating and impersonation, in public examinations conducted by the state government.

The state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, gave its nod to the Odisha Cabinet approved the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja told reporters after the meeting.

The proposed law will seek to maintain the integrity of public examinations.

Under the proposed measure, impersonation, cheating, disrupting the examination process, leakage of information related to an exam before the scheduled time, unauthorized entry into exam halls etc. during the public exams conducted by government agencies in the state will soon attract punishment.

“All offences under this Act, shall be cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. Any person or persons resorting to unfair means and offences shall be punished with imprisonment ranging three to five years and with fine up to ten lakh rupees,” according to the Cabinet note.

The Act will cover public exams conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC), Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC), Service Selection Board, Odisha Police Selection Board, State Selection Board constituted under the Odisha Education (Selection Board for the State)Rules, 1992, Odisha Joint Entrance Examination, regulated by the Odisha Professional Educational Institution (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee) Act, 2007, Departments of the State Government and their attached and subordinate offices for recruitment of staff, Selection Agencies / Committees engaged or constituted by the State Government.

“The service provider shall also be liable to be punished with imposition of a fine up to one crore rupees and proportionate cost of examination shall also be recovered from such service provider. In case of default of payment of fine, an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed, as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,” the note added.