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Difficulty: Very hardNational Events, Acts, and Governance Initiatives

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was enacted by the Parliament of India to address paper leaks and organized malpractice in competitive examinations. In the context of the key legal provisions, penalties, and enforcement framework under this statutory act, which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The Act specifically applies to central public examination authorities including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), National Testing Agency (NTA), and Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs).Answer
  2. B
    All offences committed under the Act are classified as bailable, compoundable, and subject to out-of-court civil arbitration.
  3. C
    Service provider agencies found guilty of organized paper leaks are liable only to a nominal fine of ₹10 lakh with complete immunity from imprisonment.
  4. D
    The administrative responsibility for framing rules and implementing the statutory provisions of the Act is vested solely in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Answer

The statement specifying that the Act applies to central public examination authorities such as UPSC, SSC, NTA, and RRBs is correct.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 explicitly outlines its jurisdiction over key national recruiting bodies including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), National Testing Agency (NTA), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the scope and covered entities under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The Act defines 'public examination' as examinations conducted by UPSC, SSC, NTA, RRBs, and banking recruitment bodies.
Establishing the statutory jurisdiction of the legislation is essential for determining which bodies fall under its penal framework.
2
Evaluate the nature of offences created under the legislation.
Section 10 mandates that all offences under the Act are cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
This legal classification prevents offenders from securing routine bail or settling charges out of court.
3
Analyze penal provisions for organized syndicates and service provider agencies.
Service providers face fines up to ₹1 crore along with recovery of examination costs, and individual perpetrators face 3 to 10 years of imprisonment.
High financial and custodial penalties serve as strong economic deterrence against commercialized examination fraud.
4
Verify the implementing nodal administrative ministry.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions oversees the administration of the Act.
DoPT is the primary personnel management ministry for central government recruitment.

Key Concept

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 - Statutory Provisions and Enforcement Architecture
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Topics

National Events, Acts, and Governance Initiatives

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