Rajasthan To Bring Bill Provisioning Life Imprisonment To Curb Recruitment Exam Paper Leaks

The Rajasthan government will bring a Bill in the next assembly session to increase the quantum of punishment for those involved in recruitment exam paper leaks from 10 years to life imprisonment, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Tuesday.

Gehlot also directed the chief secretary to ensure more transparency in competitive exams following discussions with the Rajasthan Public Service Commission, the Department of Personnel, the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board and other stakeholders.

In March 2022, the state assembly passed a Bill providing for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 10 crore for offences such as government exam paper leaks and cheating in such recruitment tests. This came a month after the REET level-two examination held in September 2021 was cancelled due to a paper leak.

Opposition parties in Rajasthan have been targeting the Congress government over the issue of paper leaks. Assembly elections in the state are due later this year.

Concluding his 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' in Jaipur, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot had made three demands -- reconstitution of the RPSC, compensation to youths affected by the leak of government exam papers and a high-level probe into allegations of corruption against the previous Vasundhara Raje government.

In a tweet in Hindi, Gehlot said, "In order to bring more transparency in competitive examinations in the state, the Chief Secretary has been directed to prepare a better process after discussing with RPSC, DOP, RSSB and other stakeholders." 

"It has been decided to bring a Bill in the upcoming assembly session to make life imprisonment the maximum punishment under the law against paper leaks," he added.

The Opposition BJP has demanded a CBI probe into the REET paper leak case, which is being investigated by the Special Operation Group of the Rajasthan Police.

-With PTI Input