Days after the question paper of the panchayat junior clerk examination was found to have been leaked, the Gujarat Government has said it will bring in a strict law to curb such incidents.

Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel said a bill will be introduced in the Budget session to be held from February 23 to March 29.

"We have started the process to bring in a law prescribing strict punishment for those involved in the leaking of such examination papers. We have already started the process of drafting, and the bill will be introduced and passed in this Budget session," Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting.

"This stringent law will cover all aspects of paper leaking. It will prescribe punishment for those involved in illegal acquisition of question papers, their distribution as well as those who receive leaked papers," Patel added.

On January 29, a competitive examination for the recruitment of junior panchayat clerks was postponed at the eleventh hour after it came to light that the question paper had been leaked.

Hours later, the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) said it had arrested 16 persons and recovered a copy of the question paper from their possession.

In the recent past, several government recruitment examinations have been called off after the question papers were found to have been leaked.

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