The bill was passed by voice vote in the House (Representative)
Guwahati:
The Assam Assembly on Monday passed a bill that proposes a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore for those found indulging in unfair means in recruitment examinations.
The Assam Public Examinations (Measures to Prevent Unfair Means in Recruitment) Bill, 2024 was passed by voice vote in the House on the last day of the budget session.
The bill, introduced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, will give blanket immunity to any government official who invokes the provisions in “good faith”.
It empowers the government to punish any person, including the examiner, who is directly or indirectly involved in any attempt to leak, produce, sell, print or solve question papers to assist any candidate And conducts the examination at unknown centres.
The bill states, “Such a person shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than five years, which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be fined not less than Rs 10 lakh, which may extend to Rs 10 crore.” Is.”
It says, “…in case of non-payment of fine, such person shall also be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term of two years.”
Additionally, the examinee indulging in unfair means can be punished with imprisonment of up to three years and a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh, and in case of default in payment, a jail term of nine months, the bill said. ,
The Act made all offenses cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, and authorized an officer of the level of Deputy Superintendent of Police or above to investigate offences.
Sarma, in detailing the objects and reasons of the bill, said it aims to provide an effective measure to prevent and prevent the leakage of question papers and use of unfair means in recruitment examinations to any post under a state government, including autonomous ones. Bodies, Authorities, Boards and Corporations.
The House also passed the Assam State Board of School Education Bill, 2024 to create a new body to control the education system up to class 12 in the state.
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, replying to the discussion on the bill, said the new body will only be responsible for conducting examinations and handing out certificates.
He said it would not be involved in deciding the curriculum or evaluation of educational institutions.
According to the new bill passed by voice vote, the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) have been merged to form a new body – Assam State School Education Board.
The assembly also approved a bill to create two new state-run universities in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts.
According to the Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University Bill, 2024, it will be a new institution for “teaching, residential and affiliating university” with open and distance learning facilities at Gohpur in Sonitpur district.
The Kokrajhar University Bill, 2024 states that it will be created by upgrading the existing Kokrajhar Government College. It will be a “teaching, research-oriented, affiliating and semi-residential university”, besides a Center for Open and Distance Learning will also be established under the university.
The Governor of Assam will be the Chancellor of both the universities.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
