Center notifies rules under paper leakage prevention regulations, authorizes NRA to prepare standard operating procedures for testing | Latest India News

On Monday, the Center made public the rules of the recently reported law preventing paper leaks, obliging the National Recruitment Agency to prepare, among other things, norms, standards and guidelines for computer-based testing.

The rules were notified within days of the implementation of the Public Examinations Act, 2024, the first ever national law to prohibit the use of unfair means to rig recruitment examinations conducted by various public bodies.

The Public Examination Bill 2024 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on February 9 and the Lok Sabha on February 6.

President Draupadi Murmu assented the bill on February 12, converting it into an act.

The Act aims to prevent unfair means during public examinations conducted, among others, by the Union Public Service Commission, Personnel Selection Commission, Railways, Banking Recruitment Examinations and NTA.

It contains provisions providing for a sentence of three to five years’ imprisonment to curb fraud, and those involved in organized crime involving fraud face five to ten years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹1 crore.

The Public Examinations Regulations, 2024, dated June 23, published on Monday, contain provisions on “use of services of other government agencies by the examination authority”, “preparation of norms, standards and guidelines” and “reporting of unfair means”. or crimes” among others.

“The National Recruitment Agency, on behalf of the central government, in consultation with the interested parties, will develop norms, standards and guidelines regarding the computer-based examination mode, which the central government will inform about,” the regulations read.

These should include “standard operating procedure for registration of public examination centers”, “required space in computer examination centers”, “seating arrangement”, “specifications and layout of computer nodes”, “server and network infrastructure specifications” and “electronic platform specifications for conducting computer tests.

Pre-examination activities such as pre-audit for examination readiness of public examination centers, candidate briefing, biometric registration, security and security screening; seat allocation; setting and loading question papers; supervision of the exam; Post-exam activities and guidelines for providing scribes will also be part of the draft standards.

The National Regulatory Authority is required to conduct online examinations to screen candidates for government jobs. India Trade Promotion Organization chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola, who was on Saturday given additional responsibilities at the controversial National Testing Agency, has been appointed chairman of the national regulator in March 2022.

The new rules allow the examination body to use the services of incumbent or retired employees of the “Central Government, State Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Public Sector Banks, Government Universities, Autonomous Bodies and other Government Organizations to assign Center Coordinator duties or any other examination-related duties public”.

They also mention provisions on reporting of cases of unfair means or crimes and “the procedure to be followed in relation to a public official”.

“The public inquiry authority, upon receipt of a report by a district or other official regarding the actions of a public official assigned to conduct a public hearing, shall verify whether the public official did anything in good faith while conducting the public hearing…,” it said.

For this purpose, the body conducting the public examination may appoint a committee “headed by an official of no lower rank than Joint Secretary or equivalent, and consisting of one senior official from the body conducting the public examination and an expert appointed by the examination body” – the regulations read. .

The commission will examine all relevant information and report its findings to the public inquiry body, she added.

The policy includes provisions regarding the format for reporting unfair measures or misconduct by the responsible facility.

The Ministry of Personnel announced on June 21 the date of entry into force of the provisions of the Public Examinations Act of 2024.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation is investigating allegations of malpractice in UGC-NET and National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test exams.