Lok Sabha passes stricter law against paper leakage after NEET uproar

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend the 2024 law, strengthen the legal framework against malpractice in investigations by toughening penalties, providing for time-bound investigations and trials, and ordering special fast-track courts for speedy disposal of cases.

The amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractice) Act, 2026 comes in the wake of nationwide student protests against alleged examination irregularities that culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week.

The proposal amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Fraudulent Means) Act 2024, which was introduced to curb fraud in public examinations conducted by designated central authorities. According to the statement on the objects and reasons of the bill, the amendments are intended to enhance fairness, increase the credibility of the public examination system and facilitate time-bound investigations and speed up judicial proceedings. The statement also refers to the cancellation and subsequent re-conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 exam — used for admission to undergraduate medical courses — following the paper leak.

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The bill aims to strengthen the legal framework against investigative malpractices by increasing penalties, ensuring time-limited investigations and trials, and establishing special fast-track courts for faster resolution of cases.

The bill was introduced following nationwide student protests over alleged examination irregularities, particularly the paper leak issue related to the NEET-UG 2026 examination.

The amendment increases the penalties substantially, with imprisonment for individuals using unfair means increased from three to ten years and fines increased from ₹10 to ₹50 million.

The fast-track courts will exclusively deal with cases involving investigative misconduct, which require investigations to be completed within two months and trials to be conducted on a day-to-day basis, ending within three months of the indictment.

Yes, the bill reflects the government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of examinations to improve the reliability of public examinations and reduce the incidence of malpractice.

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The amendment substantially increases the penalties for offenses under the Act. Individuals caught using fraudulent means will now face a prison sentence of between five and ten years, compared to the current three to five years, with the maximum penalty increased from ₹10 million up to ₹50 lakhs.

The maximum fine has been increased for service providers involved in investigative misconduct ₹1 crore up to ₹5 million crowns. Directors, senior management and persons responsible for such service providers will face a prison term of between five and ten years, instead of the current three to ten years.

Punishment of organized crime has also become tougher. The minimum prison sentence was increased from five years to seven years, while the minimum fine was also increased ₹1 crore up to ₹10 million crowns.

The amendment to the law also doubles the period for disqualification of service providers found guilty of misconduct from four years to eight years.

The Bill will now be taken up by the Rajya Sabha for consideration and approval. If approved by the upper house without any amendments, it will be sent to the President of India for assent. After the Presidential assent, it will become law and the amended provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractice) Act, 2024 will come into force either immediately or from a date notified by the Central Government.

The move also follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late-night video message to protesting students last week in which he announced that the government would introduce a tougher law against paper leakage during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

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Reacting to the debate on the bill, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh said the amendments reaffirmed the government’s commitment to secure the future of students and ensure that no one should compromise on the aspirations of the country’s youth. He said the changes aim to reward merit while strengthening the integrity, transparency and credibility of public examinations.

The 2024 Act applies to examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), National Testing Agency (NTA), Central Government Departments and their affiliated agencies as well as other bodies notified by the Centre. The existing law also makes the offenses under its purview cognizable, non-compensable and non-countable.

To ensure faster disposal of cases, the legislation requires each State and Union Territory (UT) to designate a court as a special fast track court for offenses under the Act. These courts will also try related offenses under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023 or other relevant laws in the same trial. Each State and Union Territory shall appoint one or more special prosecutors for each special fast-track court, and all pending cases under the Act shall be transferred to such courts.

The draft law prescribes strict deadlines for criminal proceedings. Criminal investigations under the Act must be completed within two months, while court proceedings must be conducted on a daily basis and completed within three months from the date of indictment. Cases transferred to special fast-track courts must also be closed within three months from the date of transfer.

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The amendments also empower the central government to create a special task force to investigate crimes, in addition to the existing provision that investigations be carried out by police officers not below the rank of Deputy Inspector of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police or referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The government has already announced a high-powered task force headed by former Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chief and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend steps to make the investigative system leak-proof and technology-driven.

The amendment also introduces a special appeal mechanism. Appeals against judgments, sentences or orders of special fast-track courts shall lie before a Bench of two Judges of the High Court and should, if possible, be disposed of within three months of receipt. Appeals must usually be made within 30 days of the order. While the Supreme Court may condone delays if sufficient cause is shown, no appeal can be entertained after 90 days.