Convening a conclave of V-Cs on Tuesday, Tripathi said, “The move intends to do away with cheating. In the upcoming examinations, all vice-chancellors should ensure that students caught cheating must be rusticated for one or two academic sessions.”

At present, students caught using unfair means are marked as “fail” in that particular paper. However, such students are allowed to appear in back paper/improvement examinations, giving them a chance to clear the paper in which they were caught cheating.

Lucknow University V-C Prof A S Brar said, “At present, we are implementing ‘soft statutes’ to deal with those caught copying in examinations. Prevention and punishment measures must go hand in hand to check the cheating menace.”

Tripathi also directed the V-Cs to identify colleges and examination centres from where complaints of unfair means are normally reported. “The list of such examination centres should reach the state government at the earliest, so that it can be ensured that such centres are not allowed to conduct examinations any more,” he added.

For the convenience of the students, the minister directed all state universities to post examination results and students’ provisional marksheets on their websites.