Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said his government deserves credit for acting against the cheating mafia and bringing the country's sternest anti-copying law which makes the provision for life imprisonment for those involved in cases of paper leak of recruitment examinations.
He said irregularities in recruitment examinations in the state had been going on for years, but it was his government which took the steps that were needed to bring the culprits to book.
"Irregularities in recruitment examinations had surfaced in 2014, 2015 and 2016. When the matter was brought to my notice in July 2022, I had them probed. Around 60 people involved in irregularities in different examinations have been sent behind bars so far. We have also introduced the country's toughest anti-copying law which makes the crime punishable with life imprisonment," Dhami said at a felicitation ceremony in Udham Singh Nagar district for bringing the law.
He also spoke about provisions made in the law for confiscation of the entire property of people involved in paper leak and disqualification of students using unfair means in any recruitment examination.
"The decision to act against the cheating mafia was tough. It is a highly organised crime. But we did not hesitate to act against them as securing the future of hard working and deserving students was our priority," the chief minister added. —PTI