UPSC candidate caught cheating, barred from future exams for 3 years

The Print

2 days ago

UPSC conducts one of the country's most competitive examinations. The UPSC has released details of this case and cancelled the candidature of the candidate. 'The Union Public Service Commission is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and fairness in its examination processes. Any candidate found guilty of indulging in unfair means or misconduct during examinations faces strict disciplinary action as per rules, including debarment from future examinations, as the strictest action. Such measures are essential to preserve the sanctity of the selection process and to ensure that merit remains the sole criterion for recruitment to the Government services,' said Ajay Kumar, Chairman, UPSC.
Rule 12(1)(h)—being in possession of or using unfair means during the examination—is part of a comprehensive code of conduct of UPSC's examination process that aims to ensure a level playing field for everyone.
New Delhi: A UPSC candidate has been barred for three years after being caught cheating in the exam. They were caught with incriminating material, violating Rule 12(1)(h) on the use of unfair means. The UPSC has issued a statement.
Accordingly, the UPSC has taken stringent disciplinary action in line with standardisation of penalties by cancelling their candidature for the current year's examination and barring the individual from appearing in all future examination(s)/selection(s) to be conducted by the Commission for a period of three years. 'This is the sole reason why UPSC, for the last 100 years, has been the epitome of merit and a fair system, and candidates from any background can get selected purely on merit, as per the selection process,' he added.
This incident has come at a time when concerns over the examination process and its integrity have been widely discussed on social media. UPSC is often held as the gold standard for its strict protocol and transparency. After the Pooja Khedkar fake certificate case, a lot of questions were raised on UPSC's certificate verification process.
Every year, lakhs of students across the country spend years preparing for various exams conducted by the UPSC. Last week, UPSC conducted the Combined Medical Services Examination.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Puja Khedkar's case only 'tip of iceberg' — why UPSC, DoPT need to improve their verification process