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New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 after an extensive debate that stretched for nearly nine hours on Tuesday and resumed on Wednesday before the legislation was approved.
The Bill seeks to significantly tighten the legal framework against paper leaks and examination-related malpractices by prescribing stricter punishments, higher financial penalties and introducing time-bound investigations and trials.
Under the proposed amendments, individuals found guilty of using unfair means in public examinations will face imprisonment of not less than five years, extendable up to ten years, compared to the existing punishment of three to five years. The maximum fine has also been enhanced from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
The legislation also imposes harsher penalties on service providers involved in examination-related offences. The maximum fine for such entities has been increased to ₹5 crore, while the period of debarment from conducting public examinations has been doubled from four years to eight years.
For organised examination-related crimes, including paper leak syndicates, the Bill raises the minimum imprisonment from five years to seven years, extendable up to ten years, while increasing the maximum fine from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore.
The amendment further empowers the Central Government to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) to investigate paper leaks and other examination-related offences.
A new Section 12A has also been introduced to ensure speedy justice. It mandates completion of investigations within two months, designates Courts of Session as Special Fast Track Courts for day-to-day hearings, requires trials to be completed within three months from the filing of the charge sheet, and provides for the appointment of Special Public Prosecutors for each Fast Track Court.
Heated Political Exchanges
The debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill witnessed heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches, with Union Minister Jitendra Singh accusing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of using unparliamentary language and politicising the discussion. Singh also rejected allegations of police firing during the NEET-UG 2026 protests in Delhi, clarifying that only tear gas was used and that any decision to open fire rests with the magistrate, not the government.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of allowing the RSS to control the education system and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that key decisions were being influenced by RSS functionaries. Referring to the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak protests, Gandhi described them as a peaceful expression of students’ aspirations and urged all political parties to respect their concerns. The debate saw repeated interruptions, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objecting to Gandhi’s remarks and Speaker Om Birla asking the Leader of the Opposition to adhere to parliamentary decorum.
With the Bill’s passage, the government has strengthened the legal framework against paper leaks and examination malpractices by prescribing stricter punishments, higher penalties and faster investigation and trial of offences.
