Now, paper leak and cheating non-bailable offences in Himachal

Himachal Pradesh has introduced one of its toughest crackdowns yet on exam malpractice, with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla giving assent to the Himachal Pradesh Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2025. The law, passed earlier this year by the state Assembly, officially makes offences like paper leak, organised cheating and facilitation of copying non-bailable and cognisable, signalling a decisive shift against a menace that has repeatedly disrupted the careers of thousands of young aspirants.

The state has witnessed several paper leak scandals over the past decade, including high-profile cases in police constable recruitment. These incidents have long fuelled political slugfests between the Congress and the BJP, each accusing the other of mismanaging recruitment processes. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has repeatedly said the government is determined to restore credibility to public examinations and will not spare anyone found manipulating the system.

Under the new Act, individuals caught using or facilitating unfair means face imprisonment of not less than three years, extendable up to five years, along with fines up to ?10 lakh. The law goes further for service providers, such as agencies tasked with conducting exams, who may face fines up to ?1 crore, in addition to bearing the proportional cost of the compromised examination. They will also be barred from handling any public examination in the state for four years.

In cases of organised crime, where groups or officials conspire to leak papers or disrupt exam integrity, the punishment rises sharply: a minimum of five years imprisonment, which may extend to 10 years and a fine of at least ?1 crore.

Investigations under this Act will be carried out by officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), though the state government retains the authority to transfer cases to specialised agencies if needed.

To further seal loopholes, the Act mandates that no building other than the designated examination centre may be used for conducting public examinations, ensuring tighter control over logistics and security.