Bihar Government Plans Stringent Law to Curb Exam Paper Leaks

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary announced on Thursday that a stringent law would be introduced to prevent exam paper leaks. This comes as the CBI made its first arrests in the NEET-UG scandal, detaining two individuals in Patna. The new legislation will be presented during the monsoon session of the state legislature.

"Following the direction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state government is going to introduce a stringent law to check cases of question paper leaks in Bihar," Chaudhary stated. The monsoon session of the Bihar assembly and state legislative council will occur from July 22 to July 26, covering five sittings.

New Law to Curb Exam Malpractices

The central government has already implemented the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act, 2024. This act aims to prevent unfair practices in public exams and common entrance tests nationwide. Now, Bihar plans to introduce a similar law to curb paper leaks and malpractices in recruitment exams, according to Chaudhary.

The CBI's investigation into the NEET-UG paper leaks is ongoing. "The investigation is underway… no one will be spared," Chaudhary remarked. The arrested individuals were presented before a special court in Patna on Thursday and have been placed in judicial custody. Officials mentioned that the CBI would seek their remand for further questioning.

Recent Paper Leak Incidents

Bihar was recently shaken by another scandal involving the Bihar Public Service Commission's Teachers Recruitment Exam TRE-3 paper leak case. Additionally, there is ongoing mystery regarding an alleged solver gang member, a student from AIIMS-Jodhpur, who appeared for another candidate at a NEET-UG exam centre in Muzaffarpur district on May 5.

This individual was caught during biometric attendance but was reportedly allowed to leave after submitting a written apology. "A team of police officers recently visited the house of the accused in Jodhpur and met his family members. But, he was not there," said Awadhesh Dixit, SP City. The officers also visited AIIMS-Jodhpur, but officials there had no information about his whereabouts.

Notices have been served to both his family members and the institute’s administration as part of the ongoing investigation. The state government’s move to introduce a new law aims to address these recurring issues and ensure fairness in public examinations.

The upcoming legislative session will be crucial for passing this new law aimed at preventing exam paper leaks and ensuring integrity in recruitment processes across Bihar.