‘Rs 1 cr fine, life imprisonment’: Minister’s warning to ‘cheating mafias’ ahead of UP board exams

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Secondary Education, Gulab Devi, has expressed confidence that the state government will ensure a ‘cheating-free’ conduct of the UP Board examinations this time in the same manner it has done in ‘the previous years’.

Pointing out that the UP Board examinations for Class 10 and Class 12 this time will take place with the newly enforced Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 in place, she highlighted the fact that there would be specific legal provisions to deal with “cheating mafias”, unlike earlier when such offenders would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

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The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act was adopted by the Parliament in February last year. It came into force just months later, in June 2024. Gulab Devi stated, “Just like the previous years, we will ensure cheating-free (board) exams. This time, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 has been passed – under this, there is a provision of Rs 1 crore fine and life imprisonment for ‘cheating mafias’.”

She also noted that nearly 54.5 lakh UP Board students are expected to appear for their Class 10 and Class 12 examinations this time. “Approximately, 54 lakh 50 thousand students, including 10th and 12th class, are expected to appear for the examinations… The examinations will start on February 24 and the last exam will be held on March 12”, Gulab Devi said.

She also said that the conduct of the statewide examinations will be centrally monitored from Lucknow. “Exam centres across the state will be monitored from our main centre in Lucknow to ensure there are no wrongdoings anywhere,” she said.

As many as 8,140 exam centres have been set up across Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming annual examinations, she noted further. (ANI)