UP Govt Enforces Life Imprisonment, ₹1 Crore Fine For Cheating In Civil Services Exams Under New Law
The stakes have never been higher for those appearing in the upcoming Review Officer (RO) / Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Preliminary Examination 2023 in Uttar Pradesh. In a bold move to combat exam malpractice, the state government has enforced stringent provisions under the Uttar Pradesh Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, including life imprisonment and fines up to ₹1 crore for offenders.
This law was enacted following the cancellation of the February 11, 2024, RO/ARO exam due to a massive paper leak scandal. Under the new legislation, offences such as impersonation, cheating, aiding unfair means, leaking or attempting to leak question papers, and conspiracy to manipulate exams are treated as serious criminal acts. The punishment will vary based on the severity of the offence, with the harshest penalty being life imprisonment.
BJP lawmaker Vijay Bahadur Pathak hailed the government’s tough stance on exam malpractice, calling it a necessary step to restore public faith in recruitment processes.
“The decision to impose life imprisonment and hefty fines on those involved in exam fraud is a landmark move. It sends a strong message that the government will not tolerate any compromise in the integrity of public service recruitment,” Pathak said.
Against this backdrop of heightened vigilance, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) on Friday released admit cards for the RO/ARO Preliminary Exam 2023, scheduled for July 27. This year’s exam has attracted a record 10,76,004 applicants vying for 411 posts, making it the largest examination in UPPSC history.
The exam will be conducted in a single session from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM across 2,382 centres in all districts of the state. According to UPPSC Deputy Secretary Omkar Nath Singh, candidates can download their admit cards using their OTR number from the official website https://uppsc.up.nic.in.
Candidates must report to their assigned centres as per the details mentioned on their admit card. Entry will begin 90 minutes before the exam and close 45 minutes prior to the start. Aspirants must carry two passport-sized photographs, a valid photo ID (original and photocopy), and the admit card.
With the new law in place, authorities are leaving no room for error or malpractice. Security arrangements have been tightened, and special monitoring teams are expected to be deployed across exam centres.
In a separate development, UPPSC conducted the screening test for the post of Lecturer in Music (Sitar) in government degree colleges on Friday in Prayagraj. The post was advertised back in 2017, and the test finally took place after an eight-year delay.
UPPSC Joint Secretary Rajesh Kumar informed that only 38.10% of registered candidates turned up for the exam, indicating low enthusiasm, likely due to the prolonged delay in recruitment.
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