What are the aims and objects of recently passed and enforced, The Public (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act,2024 ? Whether University/ State Education Board Examinations, too, are covered under the act ?

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was passed by the Indian Parliament in February 2024. It aims to curb cheating and malpractices in public examinations, promoting fairness and meritocracy. 

Its primary aims and objects:

• Preventing Unfair Means: Section 3 of the Act lists at least 15 actions that amount to using unfair means in public examinations for monetary or wrongful gain.

Ex.-  Leaking question papers or answer keys, impersonation, bribery, and electronic device usage.

• Public examination defined – Section 2(k) defines a public examination as any examination conducted by a public examination authority listed in the Act’s Schedule or any other authority designated by the Central Government through notification.
• Ensuring Examination Integrity: Protecting the credibility of public examinations, including school-level exams, university exams, competitive exams for public service jobs, and professional certification exams.
• Deterrence through Penalties: Section 9 of the Act states that all offences shall be cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
• Status of organised crime- 
  • Section 11 of the Act addresses organised crimes, imposing punishments ranging from 5 to 10 years and fines up to 1 crore rupees.
  • If any institution is involved in the commission of an organised crime, its property will be subject to attachment and forfeiture by the government.
• Enhancing Security Measures: Implementing advanced security features, such as surveillance cameras, frisking, and digital monitoring, to prevent cheating.
• Promoting Public Awareness: Educating students, parents, and educators about the importance of fair practices in examinations.
• Empowering Authorities: 
  • Granting powers to conduct surprise checks, seize electronic devices, and blacklist service providers involved in malpractices.
  • The Act designates the officials of public examination authority as public servants, thereby ensuring accountability and transparency in the process.
• Establishing Specialized Courts: Setting up specialised courts for speedy trial of offences related to unfair means in public examinations.

Scope of the Act

The act applies to all public examinations conducted by government bodies, educational institutions, and examination boards across India. This includes:

• School-level exams, such as those conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
• University exams, including undergraduate and postgraduate examinations
• Competitive exams for public service jobs, like those conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
• Professional certification exams, such as those in medicine and law 

By addressing these key areas, the Act seeks to restore public trust in the examination system and ensure that qualifications and certifications are awarded based on genuine performance.

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