On the first day of the budget session of the Assam legislative assembly on Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tabled the Assam Public Examination Bill (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment), 2024 in a bid to curb cheating and use of other unfair means during examinations.

According to reports, the newly introduced bill seeks to curb exam-time malpractices by placing heavy punitive measures against cheating, leaking of question papers and other practices of that ilk.

Sources claimed that the government is taking a tough stance particularly against leaking question papers, an issue that caused serious harassment to students appearing for the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations in the previous academic year.

As per the provisions of the bill, candidates appearing in examinations will not be allowed to keep the question papers unauthorizedly. Furthermore, practices like selling of question papers, helping candidates in examinations and others will also attract punishments.

Meanwhile, printing of question papers of examinations cannot be done in any place other than government authorized presses.

The provisions of the bill will be applicable on all government conducted examinations including Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examinations, Gauhati High Court examinations, State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) direct recruitment for Grade III and Grade IV examinations, etc.

Moreover, HSLC, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) examinations, and others will also come under the ambit of the provisions of the bill.

Earlier, the budget session of the Assam legislative assembly resumed after a short interruption as disruptions orchestrated by opposition parties which led to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria cutting short his opening remarks.