The government has introduced a strict law to curb paper leaks and cheating in public examinations amid a massive controversy over the NEET and UGC-NET exams.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was notified Friday evening by the Ministry Of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Here are five important provisions in the law:

The law has provisions for at least three years imprisonment for those caught using unfair means during exams. It may be extended to five years and up to Rs 10 lakh fine may also be imposed on them. The jail term may be extended further if one fails to pay the fine.
The “service provider” – or testing agency – will face a fine of up to a crore and a proportionate cost of examination shall also be recovered from them. They may also be barred from holding any public exam for four years, the law states.
The law also provides for a jail term of three years, which may be extended up to 10 years, if anyone from the senior management is found involved. A fine of Rs 1 crore may also be imposed on them.
The provisions of the law will not be applicable to a person who is able to prove that the offence was committed without his knowledge and that he tried his best to prevent it.
Whoever – be it a person or a “service provider” – commits an organised crime will face imprisonment of at least five years, which may be extended to 10 years, along with a fine of at least Rs 1 crore, the law states.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), two top public examinations that are taken by lakhs of Indians for careers in medical and academic courses, are in the middle of a huge controversy that has seen students hitting the streets in the past week.

A total of 24 lakh aspirants had taken the NEET exam on May 5 for admission into medical colleges across India, but several irregularities surfaced when the results were declared on June 4. At least four men have confessed to paper leaks ahead of the NEET exam in Bihar.

UGC-NET was cancelled on June 19, a day after it was conducted, with the Education ministry stating exam integrity was compromised. The question paper for the exam was leaked 48 hours earlier and sold on the dark web and encrypted social media platforms, CBI sources told NDTV.

Fifty five people have died after consuming toxic liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district, around 250 km from state capital Chennai. At least 88 others, who reportedly consumed the toxic liquor over the past few days, have been hospitalised. 

Many of these victims were from Karunapuram area. Three minor children have lost both their parents in the tragedy. The siblings are now staring at an uncertain future. “I don’t know how to take care of them,” their grandmother said.

A woman who lost her son said, “He complained of severe stomach ache and difficulty to open his eyes. He said he had consumed arrack. Initially, the hospital refused to admit him, saying he’s drunk. The state government should shut down all liquor shops.”

Another mother said, “My son suffered excruciating stomach pain. He could neither see nor hear. This shouldn’t happen to anyone. Stop selling liquor.”

Police have arrested four suspected bootleggers and detained 10 others. Confirming that these deaths were caused due to consumption of toxic liquor, a senior police officer told NDTV, “We are investigating what exactly they consumed.”

The state government has suspended district police chief Samay Singh Meena and appointed Rajat Chaturvedi in his place. Collector Sravan Kumar Jatavath has been replaced by MS Prasanth.

A Deputy Superintendent of Police-rank officer of prohibition enforcement wing, three inspectors and as many sub-inspectors were also suspended. The state government also transferred the probe into the toxic liquor tragedy to CB-CID.

Chief Minister MK Stalin said in a post on X that he is shocked and pained about the loss of lives. “The accused have been arrested. Action has been taken against officials who failed to prevent this. We will crack down with an iron hand. If public complain about such perpetrators, action would be taken.”

The Chief Minister has announced an inquiry by Justice (retd) B Gokuldas, a retired judge of Madras High Court. A compensation of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the families of each of the victims.

Mr Stalin had ordered the arrest of illegal liquor brewers, methanol seller and destruction of methanol.

This tragedy is being seen as a huge failure by intelligence agencies and the prohibition enforcement wing. Last year, too, 22 people died in Tamil Nadu after consuming methanol.

The Madras High Court yesterday pulled up the state government over the hooch tragedy, which has claimed 55 lives. How did you let it happen,” the court said citing last year’s tragedy.

AIADMK chief and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed the ruling DMK for and said the state government failed to curb the toxic liquor problem even after he pointed out. “I urge Chief Minister M K Stalin to take stringent action to curb toxic liquor instead of word play like last time, when they called it methanol and not toxic liquor.”

State BJP chief K Annamalai said DMK had not “learnt its lesson” after 22 deaths due to consumption of toxic liquor last year.

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday denounced the demolition of the under-construction central office of the opposition party in Tadepalli, Guntur district, by the Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA state government. Reddy alleged that the demolition was executed in blatant disregard of high court orders. “Chandrababu took vendetta politics to the next level. Like a dictator, he got YSRCP’s central office demolished with excavators and bulldozers, which was almost complete,” said Reddy in a post on X.