Dainik Nation News Portal
DAINIK NATION BUREAU/DEHRADUN
To ensure transparency and fairness in the exam, the state government enacted the country’s strictest Anti-Cheating Law in 2023 under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The law provides for stringent punishments, including life imprisonment and fines up to ₹10 crore. Properties acquired through cheating can be confiscated. Even candidates found guilty face harsh penalties: three years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹5 lakh on the first offence, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment with a fine of at least ₹10 lakh on repeat offences. Such candidates are also barred from appearing in competitive exams for the next 10 years.
Since the enactment of this law, all recruitment examinations in the state over the past four years have been conducted smoothly and transparently, enabling more than 25,000 youth to secure government jobs without irregularities.
However, in the recent UKSSSC Graduate Level Examination, the sanctity of the process came under question when screenshots of three pages of the question paper surfaced on social media soon after the test began. Investigations revealed that the prime accused, candidate Khalid Malik, carried a mobile phone inside the examination centre. He allegedly took photos of the paper and sent them to his sister, Sabia, who forwarded them to Assistant Professor Suman for solutions. The solved answers were then relayed back.
The state government acted promptly—suspending Sector Magistrate K.N. Tiwari and other supervisors found negligent, and constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on September 24. The SIT, headed by an Additional SP and monitored by a retired High Court judge, has been tasked with submitting its report within a month.
Officials indicate that the case points to a deeper conspiracy involving cheating mafias and coaching rackets, with attempts being made to deliberately disrupt recruitment exams and create chaos in the state. Authorities are also examining whether a single instance of a candidate circulating paper screenshots should be classified as a full-fledged “paper leak,” since thousands of aspirants took the exam fairly.
The Dhami government has reiterated its firm stance: no cheating mafia or paper mafia will be spared, and the future of Uttarakhand’s youth will not be compromised. Only hard work and merit will prevail in recruitment examinations.
