Lok Sabha Question No. 3334 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Cheating in NIOS Examination
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3334 ANSWERED ON 16.12.2024

## Cheating in NIOS Examination

†3334.  Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take any steps to prevent cheating in the board examinations of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS);
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of such incidents came into light across the country; and
- (d) the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  to  (d)  : In  order  to  maintain  the  sanctity  of  the  examinations  National  Institute  of Open Schooling (NIOS) takes the following precautionary measures:
- (i) Online applications are invited from schools to act as the Examination centre for NIOS  public  examinations.  The  online  portal  is  kept  open  for  a  period  of  one month. Wide publicity is done by NIOS regional centres and NIOS Headquarters (through  newspapers,  advertisements  in  print,  digital,  social  media)  for  inviting schools/ colleges to apply online to act as examination centre of NIOS. On request of  NIOS,  institutions  such  as  KVS,  NVS  &  CBSE  issue  circulars/ orders to its regional offices in states directing their schools to apply to act as the Examination centre for NIOS public examinations.
- (ii) Examination  Centre Fixation Committee at Regional Centre recommends district wise names of schools/ colleges from the schools/ colleges registered online, to be fixed as Examination  Centre which  is thereafter  approved  by  the  Director (Evaluation), NIOS. Efforts are made to identify schools/ institutions of repute as an examination centre.
- (iii) The  priority  is  given  in  the  order  of  Central  Government  Schools/  Institutions, State  Government  Schools/  Institutions,  CBSE  affiliated  schools  of  repute  and

other  schools/  institutions.  The  Guidelines  for  Fixation  of  Examination  Centres criteria of NIOS examinations have been amended to this effect in the examination Bye-laws Governing Examinations and Certification 2012.

- (iv) The  Centre  Superintendents  of  the  designated  examination  centres  are  regularly oriented,  briefed  regarding  the  smooth  conduct of examinations and ensures that the Guidelines for Centre Superintendents for Theory Examinations are followed in the letter and spirit.
- (v) NIOS requests all Chief Secretaries, DMs & SPs for their support in the smooth conduct of examinations. The State/ District administration appoints flying squads and monitors the smooth conduct of examinations.
- (vi) NIOS also appoints Observers and flying squads and monitors the smooth conduct of the examinations.
- (vii) Examination  centres  on  which  complaints are received are subjected for special evaluation,  instance  of  copying  and  mass  copying  are  identified  and  suitable penalties  are  imposed  by  the  Unfair  Means  Committee  as  per  the  Bye-laws Governing Examination and Certification 2012 of NIOS. The Bye-laws Governing Examination and Certification 2012 of NIOS have been amended to permanently debar the erring Institutions/ Schools from becoming the examinations centres of NIOS.

The statistics of three years of the Unfair Means (UFM) cases are given below:

|   Examination Year |   April Examination | October Examination   |
|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|
|               2022 |                7138 | 9051                  |
|               2023 |               17196 | 1479                  |
|               2024 |                 929 | Result not declared   |

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