Uttarakhand govt to soon bring 'Anti-copying law' to prevent corruption in recruitment process: CM Pushkar Singh

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday announced that the state government will soon introduce a new law for recruitment exams conducted in the state for government jobs. The law will be known as the `Anti-copying law` which will punish the candidates getting involved in cheating during recruitment examinations and a `ban of 10 years` will be imposed on them. This statement comes after the recent UKPSC paper leak which result in the Patwari Lekhpal exam being cancelled for around 1.4 lakh candidates.

"The state government is going to make the country`s strictest anti-copying law, and for this, a decision has been taken in the cabinet. Property (of culprits) will be confiscated along with life imprisonment for the criminals," read a statement issued by the office of the Uttarakhand CM. Uttarakhand recently faced a major paper leak case in December.The case pertains to a written exam conducted by the UKSSSC in December 2021. It was one of the major examinations conducted by the commission for 854 posts across 13 departments.

However, there were widespread allegations of irregularities in the conduct of the test. Following these allegations, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami called for a probe and strict action against those guilty. Following this, the secretary of the commission was removed from the post. A Special Task Force (STF) was also constituted to investigate the alleged irregularities.After the Uttarakhand State Subordinate Service Selection Commission was caught up in a paper leak case, the government asked the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission to conduct recruitment exams.

However, UKPSC officials were also arrested for their alleged involvement in the UKPSC Paper leak for the Patwari Lekhpal exam, which was conducted on January 8, 2023. As of now, a total of four people have been arrested in the case. Earlier on Friday the Uttrakhand cabinet conducted a meeting and decided to enact a strict anti-copying law soon in the state to prevent corruption in recruitment the state. Dhami said that strict action will be taken against those involved if there is any irregularity in the recruitment process."The agencies probing the malpractices in the recruitment examinations are doing their work.

No culprit who kills the rights of the youth of Uttarakhand will be spared. The government is ensuring that all future recruitment examinations are fair and transparent. Now in future, no one should dare to make mistakes in these examinations. This arrangement will be made with the provisions of the anti-copying law," he said.The Chief Minister said that to maintain the morale of the youth, it is the first priority of the government to provide jobs to the youth by conducting early examinations through the State Public Service Commission.

"Due to continuous active deployment of copying mafias and leaking out of examination paper, the future of other candidates who work day and night is being played with. Keeping these facts in mind, it has now been decided that the notification unit should be actively deployed before the future examinations to be conducted by Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, Haridwar and Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission, Dehradun, so that such repetitions do not happen," he said.