The Centre is set to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 27. The proposed legislation seeks to introduce stricter punishment, faster probes and time-bound trial cases involving paper leaks and examination malpractice.
According to the Lok Sabha’s legislative business agenda, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh will seek leave to introduce the Bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Sansad TV, in a post on X, also confirmed that Dr Singh will introduce the legislation in the Lower House on Monday.
The proposed amendments come after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and subsequent protests over alleged examination irregularities.
What are the key changes proposed?
According to the draft bill, individuals found guilty of leaking question papers or using unfair means in public examinations could face five to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh, as reported by PTI. Under the existing law, the punishment ranges from three to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
For organised examination fraud, the proposed amendments increase the minimum jail term from five years to seven years and the minimum fine from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore.
The Bill also proposes completing investigations into paper leak cases within two months, according to PTI.
To speed up trials, state governments and Union Territory administrations will be empowered to designate Courts of Session as Special Fast-Track Courts. These courts will conduct day-to-day hearings and complete trials within three months of the filing of the chargesheet, as reported by The Indian Express.
The proposed legislation also empowers the Central government to constitute a Special Task Force to probe complex or inter-state examination fraud, where required. States and Union Territories will also be authorised appoint specialised legal counsel for prosecuting offences under the Act.
Why is the Centre proposing the amendments?
The Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the Bill highlights the need for stronger safeguards against paper leaks and examination malpractice. It says, “In recent years, they have been some incidents of question paper leakages and malpractices in examinations conducted by public examination authorities, which tend to affect the transparency and fairness of the public examination systems,” The Indian Express reported.
Which examinations will the law cover?
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 applies to examinations conducted by agencies such as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), National Testing Agency (NTA), and the Institute of Banking Personnel (IBPS), among others.
The law also covers different stages of the examination process, including question paper security, candidate check-in, biometric verification, examination centre preparedness, post-examination procedures and invigilation. It also recognises offences such as question paper leaks, creation of fake websites, meddling with OMR sheets and issuance of fake admit cards, as per PTI.
The Union Cabinet approved the amendment Bill on Friday.
According to the Lok Sabha’s legislative business agenda, the Bill is listed for introduction, consideration and passage on Monday. However, Bills are not usually introduced and passed on the same day, and the House will decide whether to take it up for consideration and passage after its introduction.
