Bhubaneswar, Dec 7 (Reporter) The Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024 was passed in the state Assembly to prevent cheating, corruption, examination paper leakage and unfair means in recruitment and entrance examinations. The bill was passed on Friday by a voice vote. The central government passed such a bill earlier. Some other states like Haryana, Assam, and Maharashtra have also enacted this law to prevent cheating and corruption. The bill provides stringent punishment for organised crimes in recruitment and entrance examination. The bill provides that any person resorting to unfair means and offences under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment for not less than three years which may extend to five years and with a fine up to Rs 10 lakh. In case of default of payment of fine an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed. It provides for a fine of Rs 1 crore and to recover proportionate cost of examination from service a provider if it is found involved in such crimes. the organisation will also be barred from conducting any examination for four years. Moving the bill, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the objective of the bill is to bring greater transparency, fairness, and credibility to public examination systems and to reassure the youths that their sincere and genuine efforts will be fairly rewarded and their future is safe. The bill is aimed at effectively and legally deterring persons, organised groups, or institutions that indulge in various unfair means and adversely impact the public examination systems for monetary or wrongful gains, he said. The Act will cover recruitment agencies like OPSC,OSSS Commssion,SSB, Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission, and Odisha Joint Entrance Examination Authorities. Taking a potshot at the previous BJD government, Majhi said during the BJD rule there was no transparency in examination and recruitment. The Appointments of Assistant Section officers were sold for Rs 25 to 30 lakh. The officers were involved in the examination paper leak but the government took no action and pushed the future of children into darkness. The Chief Minister said the Chairman of the Odisha Staff Selection Commission accepted bribes and gave jobs to ineligible individuals. Similarly, in 2023, the JE (Civil) examination was cancelled due to the question paper leak. 'No one can proudly say that the recruitment process carried out by the previous government was clean and transparent. Along with every recruitment list, there are examples of gossip, self-portraits of talented students, fake candidates, duplicating, question paper tampering, question paper leakage, etc. becoming a topic of discussion' Majhi said. But, he said, 'My government is a responsible government. This government believes in transparency, honesty, impartiality, and equality.' 'I am committed to protecting lakhs of talented students who are the drivers of progress in my Odisha. This bill is like a deterrent force.' the CM said. This law will help in identifying the elements that are creating disruptions in the examination system and other elements and will be successful in preventing organized crime in the examination, the Chief Minister said...////...