“Uttarakhand is going to make the country’s strictest anti-copying law with stringent provisions, including life imprisonment, for those found guilty of aiding cheating in recruitment examinations,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said.
It will also have provisions for disqualification of candidates guilty of using unfair means from appearing in any examination for 10 years and confiscation of property of those facilitating cheating, he told reporters in Champawat on January 15.
The Uttarakhand Cabinet has already taken a decision on bringing the law in the State, the Chief Minister said, adding that "it will be the country's strictest anti-copying law". On January 13, the State Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Mr. Dhami had given its nod to bringing the law to prevent use of unfair means in examinations.
The decision came a day after the arrest of five people, including a section officer in the Uttarakhand State Public Service Commission, for allegedly leaking question papers of examinations held recently for the recruitment of accountants and "patwaris". Several paper leak cases have been unearthed in Uttarakhand in recent months.
"We are reforming the system. Stern action has been taken against those involved in leaking recruitment examination papers. Earlier, irregularities in examinations went unnoticed. Even if they came to the surface, no action was taken," Mr. Dhami said.
"We sent those indulging in such irregularities to jail and demolished their properties. We have also strengthened the internal informant system," he said. Irregularities are not just being detected but the guilty are also being caught immediately, the Chief Minister said.
