Public Examinations Amendment Bill aimed at curbing paper leaks to be tabled in Lok Sabha; MPs from BJP, TMC, TDP to speak
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session, after the Union Cabinet approved it on July 24, 2026
The Bill amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, proposing longer prison terms, higher financial penalties, a 60-day time limit for completing investigations, and Special Fast Track Courts for speedy trial
It also proposes stricter accountability for examination-conducting bodies and private service providers found responsible for paper leaks or other organised malpractice
The introduction comes amid continuing public concern over irregularities and paper leaks affecting large-scale recruitment and entrance examinations; the House was adjourned amid vocal disruption from the floor
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — Legislative Background
The parent Act was passed by Parliament in February 2024, received assent on February 25, 2024, and came into force on June 21, 2024, following a spate of high-profile examination paper leaks (including NEET-UG and UGC-NET). It is the first standalone central law to specifically criminalise unfair means in public examinations, covering recruitment/entrance tests conducted by the UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Boards, IBPS, the National Testing Agency, and central government departments.
Key Details
- Defines "unfair means" broadly: unauthorised access to or leakage of question papers/answer keys, impersonation, tampering with computer systems or merit lists, and running fake examinations or issuing fake admit cards for monetary gain
- Offences under the Act are cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable
- Individual offenders face 3–5 years' imprisonment and a fine up to ₹10 lakh; organised crime by an institution or service provider attracts 5–10 years' imprisonment and a fine of at least ₹1 crore, with attachment and forfeiture of the institution's property
The 2026 Amendment Bill builds directly on this 2024 framework, escalating penalties and introducing procedural safeguards (fast-track trial, time-bound probe) in response to continuing enforcement gaps.
Penalty Escalation Under the 2026 Amendment
The amendment increases the maximum individual penalty to imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine up to ₹10 crore for the most serious offences, layered on top of the 2024 Act's tiered structure (individual offender, service provider, senior management, organised crime).
Key Details
- Mandates completion of investigation within 60 days of an FIR being registered
- Requires trial to conclude within three months of the chargesheet being filed, through designated Special Fast Track Courts
- Retains the 2024 Act's distinction between individual candidates (lower penalty band) and institutions/service providers/senior management (higher penalty band, including debarment from future examination work for four years)
These changes respond to criticism that investigations and trials under the 2024 Act were too slow to deter repeat offences, a gap the amendment seeks to close with statutory timelines.
Legislative Procedure — From Cabinet Approval to Introduction in Lok Sabha
A government bill typically follows Union Cabinet approval, then introduction ("first reading") in either House by the concerned minister, before referral to a standing committee (optional), detailed discussion, and passage. The Public Examinations Amendment Bill is an ordinary bill (not a Money Bill under Article 110), meaning it requires passage by both Houses.
Key Details
- Article 107 governs the ordinary legislative process for introduction and passage of bills in either House
- Article 108 provides for a joint sitting of both Houses in case of deadlock over an ordinary bill (not applicable to Money Bills)
- An ordinary bill requires only a simple majority in each House, unlike a Constitutional Amendment Bill (Article 368), which needs a special majority
Because this is an ordinary bill, it must clear both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha with a simple majority before receiving presidential assent under Article 111.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Default Imprisonment for Non-Payment of Fine
The 2024 Act explicitly ties its fine-default provisions to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860, effective July 1, 2024.
Key Details
- The BNS, along with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (replacing the CrPC) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (replacing the Evidence Act), forms the new criminal law framework enacted in 2023
- Under general BNS sentencing principles, failure to pay a court-imposed fine results in additional imprisonment, the mechanism the 2024 Examinations Act incorporates by reference
- This reflects a broader pattern of newer special laws cross-referencing the BNS rather than restating default provisions
The Amendment Bill's higher fines (up to ₹10 crore) will also carry BNS-linked default imprisonment consequences if unpaid, reinforcing the deterrent effect.
- Parent Act: Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — assented February 25, 2024; in force June 21, 2024
- Original individual offender penalty: 3–5 years' imprisonment, fine up to ₹10 lakh
- Organised crime penalty (existing): 5–10 years' imprisonment, fine not less than ₹1 crore
- Proposed 2026 amendment maximum penalty: up to 10 years' imprisonment, fine up to ₹10 crore
- Proposed investigation timeline: 60 days; proposed trial timeline: 3 months from chargesheet
- Service provider debarment period (2024 Act): 4 years
- Cabinet approval for the Amendment Bill: July 24, 2026; introduced in Lok Sabha: July 27, 2026 (Monsoon Session)