UPPSC To Introduce New Coloured Codes For Exam Papers? What We Know

The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has reportedly introduced a new system of coloured codes for competitive examination papers. On 30 June, the Uttar Pradesh government approved the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Ordinance 2024, which was formally notified on 1 July. This ordinance introduces stringent penalties for those involved in malpractice or paper leaks in public examinations, including life imprisonment and fines up to Rs 1 crore.

Moreover, an amendment to the Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) Act has been issued, mandating the preparation of four different sets of question papers for each Public Service Commission examination.

According to reports, examiners from different centres will prepare the question papers, which will be received in sealed envelopes and stored under the supervision of the Controller of Examinations. Out of these four sets, two will be selected for printing by the Controller of Examinations. The moderators, responsible for assessing the ease and difficulty levels of the papers, will receive the sealed envelopes from the examiners and check them. After inspection, they will seal the four sets in separate packets, ensuring that no identification marks are placed on the envelopes. These packets will then be handed over to the Controller of Examinations or their nominee.

The Controller of Examinations will select two sets of question papers for any subject without opening the sealed envelopes. These selected sets will be sent to two separate printing presses. It will be the responsibility of the printing presses to produce the question papers in different colours and with secret codes, applying their seal before distributing them to examination centres. Alongside these duties, officials involved are required to maintain strict confidentiality throughout the process.

These reforms have been implemented in response to recent paper leaks in exams such as UGC-NET, NEET-UG, and the UP Police Constable qualifying examination. In the case of the UP Police Constable exam, the authorities filed a 900-page chargesheet against 18 individuals, including the alleged mastermind, Ravi Attri, for their involvement in the paper leak scandal.