Govt Recruitment exams: Paper leak Bill gets Governor’s assent

A senior official of the state government connected with the development said, “Now, the General Administration Department (GAD) is expected to issue a notification to bring the Act in force. Considering the expeditious manner in which the Bill was brought in, the GAD is likely to bring the Act in force soon.”

The Bill, presented by the Home Department, has prescribed maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and fine not less than Rs 1 crore for indulging in “organised crime” of paper leak.

It was passed unanimously with one correction that was suggested by senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia to exclude students appearing in school and college examinations from the purview of the Act.

The Gujarat government had brought the Bill following a spate of incidents of paper leaks in government recruitment examinations. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said from the floor of the House that in the past 11 years, 11 papers of government recruitment examinations were leaked. The State Law Commission headed by retired Supreme Court judge MB Shah had also suggested to bring a strict law to control the menace of paper leaks.