Unfair means in OPSC, OSSC, OSSSC exams: Odisha cabinet brings law to make offences punishable

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 govt agencies in Odisha will soon attract punishment.  

With an aim to maintain the integrity of public exams, the Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday, approved a proposal to frame the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.  

"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," read 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 law also proposes that "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."