AP cracks down on exam malpractices

HYDERABAD, April 30: Use of unfair means in any public examination, unauthorised possession and disclosure of question paper, manipulation ...

HYDERABAD, April 30: Use of unfair means in any public examination, unauthorised possession and disclosure of question paper, manipulation in evaluation of answer sheets or mark sheets and inducements for admission to any educational institution will henceforth attract imprisonment of up to seven years with a fine of Rs 50,000.

This is the main feature of the Andhra Pradesh Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices and Unfair Means) Ordinance promulgated on April 28 to check the recurring problem of leakage of question papers of various exams, mainly competitive tests.

Releasing the copies of the ordinance at a press conference here yesterday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said it will come into force with immediate effect. There were, however, legal problems in charge-sheeting those arrested in connection with the leakage of Intermediate question papers under the provisions of the new ordinance.

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Rules were being framed making registration of all tutorial colleges compulsory and anyone running such an institution without permission will face imprisonment besides confiscation of property.

Under the ordinance, the five offences which attract punishment for three years, and which might extend up to seven years are: use of unfair means at or in connection with any public examination by any person; procuring or attempt to procure or possess question paper or any portion thereof; impart or offer to impart information related to or derived from such question paper; any person entrusted with examination work directly or indirectly divulging any information which has come to his knowledge by virtue of the work given to him; indulging in manipulation of evaluation of the performance of an examinee at a public examination or the records of such evaluation; and offer by any person connected with an educational institution or a tutorial institution of a guarantee of success at a public examination in advance as an inducement for admission into such institution.

The ordinance also has provision for punishment for “willful neglect of duties” by any person entrusted with work relating to a public examination. This will entail punishment with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which might extend up to three years.

It was explained that the promulgation of the ordinance was necessitated because the laws in force in the state were found to be inadequate to control or eradicate effectively organised malpractices in relation to public examinations adversely affecting the vast majority of meritorious students. Provisions of this ordinance will override all other laws in force.