STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The State Government has passed the Assam Public Examinations (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance 2023 to provide effective measures to curb and prevent offences like leakage of question papers, use of unfair means, unauthorized help, etc., at public examinations for the recruitment of any kind of post.
Briefing the media today, Education Minister Ranuj Pegu said, “The purpose of bringing this ordinance is to ensure that the recruitment of candidates for various posts becomes neat and clean. If the authorities catch anybody resorting to unfair practices, he or she will face punitive action, including three-to-ten-year imprisonment, besides fines amounting to Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 crore.
By the phrase unauthorized help, the ordinance means helping a candidate with ‘written, recorded, copied, or printed materials’.
By unfair means, the Minister said ‘leak or attempt to leak question paper, printing leaked question paper, solving the leaked question paper, helping examinees directly or indirectly, printing blank answer script, etc.’.
The Minister said that for unfair means like conducting examinations in non-designated centres, facing proxy examinations, etc., the punishment is imprisonment for five to ten years, besides fines ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 10 crore. All examinations, from the APSC to the TET, will come under this ordinance. He said, “All offences specified under this Ordinance shall be cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable. The offices will be investigated and tried by appropriate authorities and courts.”
The minister said that the Cabinet took another decision yesterday that ministers, MLAs, chairmen, senior officials, and others should deposit the gifts they get on behalf of the government in various public functions in the toshakhana (treasure house), as such gifts are not personal. However, the recipients should deposit only the gifts valued at over Rs 2000 to the toshakhana. He said that the government would form a committee to evaluate such gifts, and based on the evaluation, the government will auction the gifts from time to time, and the money from such gifts will go to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Also Watch: