Lok Sabha passes anti-paper leak Bill to tighten exam fraud penalties

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote, paving the way for stricter penalties against paper leaks and organised examination fraud.

The legislation amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and comes in the wake of the nationwide controversy over the alleged leak of the NEET-UG question paper, which intensified concerns about the integrity of India's public examination system.

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The amended law seeks to impose tougher punishments on those involved in compromising public examinations, including organised cheating syndicates and entities facilitating malpractice.

The Bill substantially increases penalties for examination-related offences. For individuals convicted of examination fraud, the minimum prison term will be raised from three years to five years, while the maximum fine will increase from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

The proposed amendments also tighten penalties for companies and agencies involved in conducting public examinations, including those managing examination centres, providing technology support and handling logistics.

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Such entities can currently face fines of up to Rs 1 crore, recovery of the cost of conducting the examination and debarment from participating in public examinations for four years. Under the Bill, the maximum fine for these service providers will increase five-fold to Rs 5 crore, while the debarment period will be doubled to eight years.