Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, significantly increasing penalties for paper leaks and unfair examination practices, a move prompted by recent student protests and the high-profile NEET paper leak controversy.
Key Points
- The Lok Sabha approved the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, introducing stricter penalties for paper leaks.
- The amended law proposes jail terms of 5 to 10 years and fines up to Rs 50 lakh for individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means.
- For organised crimes related to paper leaks, the bill mandates a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.
- The government's swift action follows large-scale student protests, including those led by the Cockroach Janta Party, and the recent NEET paper leak case.
- The bill empowers state governments to designate special fast-track courts for trials, aiming for completion within three months of filing a charge sheet.
Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved by voice vote a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law with stricter punishment with government asserting that the measure was taken as it is "open to learning from experiences".
The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the House by Union minister Jitendra Singh on July 27, days after large-scale student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as the education minister.
Government's Response to Paper Leaks
Speaking in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Singh said the government acted swiftly in the NEET paper leak case, and as many as 52 FIRs have been lodged since the anti-paper leak law came into force in 2024. The amendment bill indicates that the government is open to learning from experience, he said, noting that the rate of suicide related to paper leaks has also reduced over the last few years.
Singh criticised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, stating that he lacks knowledge of parliamentary norms and the functioning of the government.
Expressing disappointment over sloganeering by the opposition parties during the passage of the bill, the minister said, "Instead of debating it seriously and offering suggestions, attempts are being made to politicise it."
"I am surprised by the behaviour of the leader of opposition...," he said.
Immediately after the passage of the bill, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.
Key Provisions of the Amendment Bill
On Monday, Singh introduced the bill to amend the anti-paper leaks law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and Rs 50 lakh fine amid protests and sloganeering by the Opposition demanding a response from the government over the police crackdown on students during the CJP-led July 20 protest march to Parliament.
Protests by opposition parties over the NEET issue led to daily disruption of proceedings in the first week of the monsoon session of Parliament.
The 2024 law was brought in when the government faced raging paper leak controversies.
Before this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the central government and its agencies.
The Act aimed to prevent unfair means in the public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the railways, banking recruitment examinations and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others.
Ensuring Fair Examinations
Responding to Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's remarks alleging that on innocent children atrocities and oppression were inflicted, Singh said, "Utmost restraint was exercised and it was made sure that casualties do not happen."
According to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, investigations into paper leak cases are to be completed within two months.
The bill says that individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means in exams will get jail terms for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years, and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
For organised crimes, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.
The amendment bill seeks to empower all the state governments and UT administrations to designate any court of session to be a special fast-track court to try offences under the proposed law.
It also provides that the proceedings in such courts are continued on a day-to-day basis and the trial is completed within three months from the date of filing of the charge sheet.
It also empowers the central government to constitute a special task force for investigation of any offence, if necessary.
