The Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of Parliament, passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Wednesday. Approved via voice vote following two days of intense debate, the legislation seeks to overhaul the existing 2024 Act by introducing significantly more stringent penalties for those involved in leaking examination papers.
Under the new provisions, individuals found guilty of orchestrating or participating in exam leaks face up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching Rs 10 crore, equivalent to approximately $1 million. The law also mandates the confiscation of assets belonging to convicted offenders and establishes a framework for fast-track courts. These courts are required to conclude trials and issue verdicts within three months to ensure swift accountability for examination-related offenses.
This legislative action follows a directive from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who pledged to introduce comprehensive measures to curb systemic fraud in public testing. The move is designed to safeguard the integrity of the examination process and protect the interests of students across the country.
The government’s decision to fast-track these reforms comes in the wake of widespread public unrest, most notably the “Sansad Chalo” protest held in New Delhi on July 20. Organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the demonstration drew hundreds of students protesting against irregularities in the NEET and other major examinations. The protest escalated into violence, resulting in serious injuries to both demonstrators and police officers.
A central demand of the protesters was the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Amidst the mounting pressure and the fallout from the examination scandals, Pradhan officially stepped down from his cabinet position on July 25. The newly passed bill represents the government’s formal response to these demands for greater transparency and administrative reform in the nation’s education sector.
The legislation doubles the maximum jail term for those involved in leaking exam papers to 10 years, and raises the maximum fine to more than $1 million.
This Bill, passed after a stormy debate spanning several hours over two days, seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Among the key features are stringent penalties, including imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to Rs 10 crore ($1 million), confiscation of assets of those found guilty, and the establishment of a mechanism to en
The demonstration later turned violent, following which security personnel resorted to the use of force to disperse the crowd.
