NET not alone, many incidents of paper leaks in past years

The cancellation of June 18 NET (National Eligibility Test) examination following suspected paper leak is not the only incident of paper leak as there have been many such occasions when the papers of the competitive examinations in the country were allegedly leaked in the recent past dashing the hopes of the youths to get government jobs.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) had conducted the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination in OMR (pen and paper) mode on 18th June, 2024 in two shifts across different cities of the country. The very next day the University Grants Commission (UGC) received certain inputs from National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs on the Examination. These inputs prima-facie indicated that the integrity of the aforesaid examination may have been compromised.

‘’To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India has decided that the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination be cancelled. A fresh examination shall be conducted, for which information shall be shared separately. Simultaneously, the matter is being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for thorough investigation in the matter’’ an official press release said.

Earlier also there were alleged leakage of papers of NEET(UG) Examination-2024 in Bihar and some other places. The NTA said that as regards certain irregularities alleged in the conduct of the examination in Patna, a detailed report had been sought from the Economic Offences Unit, Bihar Police. Government will take further action, on receipt of this report.

Media reports claimed that several days before the NEET exam, a video had surfaced showing an individual saying that the NEET papers would be leaked. The individual, who was seen in the video, was also an accused in the Bihar Teacher Recruitment Exam paper leak.

He had claimed that one person named Vishal Chaurasia, a resident of Bihar, who was lodged in jail, were behind the leaks. Incidentally Vishal was accused of being involved in several cases of paper leaks in Delhi, Bihar, Odisha and UP. Vishal was arrested in March this year.

Similarly the UP Police Recruitment Examination had to be cancelled after alleged paper leak leaving as many as 48 lakh examinees in the lurch. Even before this, many cases of paper leak have come to the fore.

1. In the year 2017, the paper of the online examination for 3307 posts of SI in UP Police was leaked. Examination centers were set up in 22 districts. 1 lakh 20 thousand people had applied for this post. The examination was to be held on 25 and 26 July 2017, but when the paper got leaked, the examination was canceled.

2. In February 2018, the paper of JE recruitment in UPPCL was leaked, after which the examination was canceled. In this, UP STF arrested half a dozen people including the mastermind.

3. Before 2023, the paper of constable recruitment held in 2018 has also been canceled. Recruitment was to be held in UP Constable Civil Police on 18-19 June 2018. About 10 lakh candidates filled the application form. In this, the wrong paper was distributed in the examination, due to which the examination was canceled.

4. UPSSSC paper was leaked. In July 2018, the UP Subordinate Services Selection Board exam paper was leaked. After investigation, the paper was canceled with immediate effect after confirmation. Through this exam, the posts of lower subordinate were to be filled in 14 departments.

5. In the case of recruitment examination of tube well operators, the paper for the recruitment of tube well operators under the Subordinate Services Selection Commission was leaked in September 2018.

6. Preliminary Eligibility Test (UPSSSC PET) was held in the month of August 2021. Despite strict arrangements for the examination in 75 districts, the paper was leaked.

7. Similarly, on 28 November 2021, the paper of Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UP TET 2021) was leaked on WhatsApp, after which it was canceled. The exam was conducted again on 23 January 2022. Action was taken against the accused caught in this case under the Gangster Act.

8. Along with job examinations, board exam papers have also been leaked. 2 years ago, in the year 2022, the paper of English exam to be held in the second shift of 12th board examination was leaked in 24 districts of Uttar Pradesh. After this, the examination was canceled in 24 districts of the state. However, examinations were conducted in the remaining districts.

These are the examinations held in the past years, whose paper was leaked and due to which the hard work of thousands of students was wasted. Despite all efforts, the gang that leaked the paper could not be curbed. During the examination, the gangs that helped in cheating through solvers were identified and action was taken, but every time new solver gangs came to the fore.

In February, President Draupadi Murmu gave assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill which became a law. The central government had brought the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 to curb leaks, irregularities as well as organised malpractices in recruitment examinations like UPSC, SSC etc. and entrance exams like NEET, JEE and CUET.

The punishment proposed under the Public Examination Bill 2024 is that unfair means can attract imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.

If any person, group or persons commit such organised crime involving the examination authority, service provider or any other institution, they will be punished with imprisonment of 5 to 10 years with a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.

The law empowers the agencies to attach and confiscate the properties of institutions involved in committing organised crime to recover the cost of the examination in proportion to the amount.

The law also states that an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police will be responsible for investigating any complaint under the Act.