“The Centre’s decision now to implement a law to prevent the use of unfair means in competitive examinations after several “scams” have taken place, together with within the NEET-UG and the UGC-NET assessments, is “damage control”,” Congress chief Jairam Ramesh claimed on June 22.
“This law was needed but it deals with question paper leaks and other irregularities after they have occurred,” he claimed in a submit on X.
A number of Opposition political events and scholar associations, together with the Congress, have held protests throughout the nation over alleged irregularities in medical entrance examination NEET-UG and the UGC-NET.
Amid the raging row over the problem, the Centre on June 21 operationalised the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, that goals to curb malpractices and irregularities in aggressive examinations and entails provisions for a most jail time period of 10 years and a advantageous of as much as ₹1 crore for offenders.
“The Bill received the President’s assent on February 13, but was enforced only on Friday, Mr. Ramesh,” the Congress’ basic secretary communications, mentioned.
“On February 13, 2024, the President of India gave her assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means), Bill, 2024. Finally, just this morning the nation has been told that this Act has come into force from yesterday, that is June 21, 2024,” he mentioned.
“Clearly this is damage control to deal with the NEET, UGC-NET, CSIR-UGC-NET and other scams,” the Congress chief mentioned and added that “This law was needed. But it deals with leaks after they have occurred.”
“More important are laws, systems, processes, and procedures to ensure that leaks don’t happen in the first place,” he mentioned.
The Nationwide Testing Company, which conducts the aggressive exams, on June 21 introduced the postponement of the June version of the Joint Council of Scientific and Industrial Analysis and College Grants Fee Nationwide Eligibility Take a look at, citing unavoidable circumstances and logistic points.
It got here two days after the company cancelled the UGC-NET examination inside 24 hours of its conduct saying the integrity of the examination had been compromised, and a large row on NEET over alleged irregularities, with the problem now earlier than the Supreme Courtroom.
