The Rajasthan government has suspended four government employees, including three teachers, for their alleged involvement in the question paper leak of the second-grade teacher recruitment exam and debarred the 46 students arrested in the case from competing in any exam conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), Education minister BD Kalla said.
Meanwhile, the police on Sunday presented the 49 arrested persons in the case before the magistrate, which sent seven girls to be arrested for two days and the rest for five-day police custody.
Kalla said RPSC has primarily debarred 46 candidates involved in the paper leak from this examination and from all future examinations. The four suspended government employees are headmaster Suresh Kumar, senior teacher Ravata Ram, junior assistant Pukhraj and second grade teacher Bhagirath.
Earlier on Saturday, the government cancelled the test of general knowledge in the senior teacher (secondary education department) competitive examination of RPSC following the question paper leak.
Kalla said that 237 accused have been arrested by the Rajasthan Police in question paper leak cases from January, 2019 to December 24, 2022. A total of 14 cases have been lodged related to paper leak, of which challan has been presented in seven cases.
In order to prevent cheating in the examinations, a notification of ‘Rajasthan Public Examinations (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act 2022’ was brought on April 6, 2022 by passing a voice vote resolution in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Under the Act strict steps are taken to prevent unfair means in the examinations and to make the recruitment process more transparent. Provision has been made for imprisonment of up to three years, minimum fine of ₹1 lakh and debarment from public examination for two years for the candidates using unfair means. There is also provision of imprisonment of 5 to 10 years and a fine of ₹10 lakh to ₹10 crore to any person, including the examinee, who uses unfair means in connivance with the examination agency, said the minister.
There is a provision regarding confiscation, attachment and confiscation of the property obtained from the proceeds of crime. In this, movable or immovable property can be confiscated by the Research Officer with the prior permission of the State Government. There is a provision to auction the property of the organisation or management to compensate for the expenses incurred on the examination, if found guilty, for forever banning that organisation for committing a crime by the management or organisation. Such offences will be cognizable and non-bailable.
The minister said that the state government is conducting competitive examinations transparently for the safe future of the youth and so far more than 1.35 lakh jobs have been given. About 1.25 lakh are under process and more than one lakh vacancies will be released soon, he added.
In February, the state cancelled the Level-II exam of Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher (REET), amid accusations of paper leak. In May, the Rajasthan Police Constable Recruitment Exam was also cancelled.
