By Union Minister Jitendra Singh introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha today, with debate continuing through the day.
The bill amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, proposing seven key changes to strengthen anti-paper-leak provisions.
One notable change would empower state governments and Union Territory administrations to designate any Court of Session as a Special Fast Track Court to try offences under the Act.
Such courts would need to hold proceedings on a day-to-day basis, completing trials within three months of the chargesheet being filed.
Singh called the legislation a milestone, noting that the 2024 Act was the first law of its kind in independent India to specifically address exam fraud.
The debate began in the afternoon and extended into the evening, with the bill expected to be passed on Wednesday.
Government officials have described the amendment as building on recommendations from an expert committee that reviewed gaps in the 2024 law following continued instances of examination malpractice across states.
The debate in the Lok Sabha took place against the backdrop of continuing protests and disruptions in Parliament over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, which had dominated much of the Monsoon Session’s proceedings in the preceding days.
The 2024 Act that the current bill seeks to amend had itself been introduced following a series of high-profile examination paper leaks that affected recruitment and entrance tests across multiple states and central agencies.
Once passed, the amended law would apply to public examinations conducted by central government agencies as well as those falling under the ambit of the original 2024 legislation, extending the reach of the fast-track court provisions nationally.
The debate follows the Union Cabinet’s approval last week of tougher paper-leak penalties, which had proposed a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore for those involved in organised examination paper leaks.
(Image: Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs / PIB (GODL-India))
