New Bill Aims to Tackle Exam Paper Leaks with Tougher Penalties

Government Moves to Strengthen Anti-Paper Leak Legislation

In a significant move, the Indian government presented a Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday aimed at amending the existing anti-paper leak law. This comes in the wake of widespread student protests regarding the NEET examination debacle, which led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Education Minister.

The legislation was introduced by Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for PMO, amidst vocal opposition from various parties demanding accountability for the police's actions during a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on July 20.

The proposed Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, stipulates that investigations into paper leak incidents must be concluded within a two-month timeframe.

Under the new Bill, those found guilty of involvement in paper leaks or other unfair practices during examinations could face imprisonment ranging from five to ten years, along with fines reaching up to Rs 50 lakh.

For organized offenses, the Bill suggests a minimum sentence of seven years and fines that could go as high as Rs 10 crore.

Currently, the law mandates a minimum imprisonment of three to five years for cheating, with organized crime offenders facing five to ten years and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.

The Bill also empowers states and Union Territories to establish fast-track courts to expedite hearings, ensuring trials are completed within three months of charges being filed.

Additionally, the central government will have the authority to form a special task force to investigate paper leak cases under specific circumstances.

Following the Bill's introduction, Speaker Om Birla called upon senior opposition leaders such as Saugata Roy (TMC) and Manish Tewari (Congress) to voice their concerns, but none chose to speak. Minister Singh proceeded with the Bill's introduction, after which Birla encouraged all members to engage in discussions regarding the NEET paper leak issue.

Birla emphasized the importance of improving the public examination process and urged members to discuss the Bill rather than resorting to protests. The House was adjourned until 2 PM due to ongoing opposition demonstrations.

The government’s decision to introduce this legislation follows a series of protests led by the CJP concerning the NEET paper leak. The opposition's stance on the new Bill remains ambiguous, with Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, indicating that their actions will depend on consensus.

The 2024 law was enacted amid escalating controversies surrounding paper leaks. Prior to this, there was no specific law addressing unfair practices or offenses related to public examinations conducted by the central government and its agencies.

This Act aims to prevent malpractice in public examinations overseen by various bodies, including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the National Testing Agency (NTA).

In response to student protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to establish a law addressing cases like the NEET-UG paper leak, promising that such cases would be tried in fast-track courts.

The CJP concluded its 36-day protest after Pradhan's resignation and the government’s agreement to other demands.

On Sunday, Modi also announced the formation of a high-powered task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to propose reforms aimed at securing the examination system against leaks.

The Bill highlights recent incidents of question paper leaks and malpractices that undermine the transparency and integrity of public examinations.

It seeks to empower state governments and UT administrations to designate any session court as a special fast-track court for trying offenses under the proposed law.

The legislation mandates that proceedings in these courts occur on a daily basis, ensuring trials are completed within three months from the filing of charges.

Furthermore, it allows the central government to form a special task force for investigating offenses when necessary.

The Bill includes provisions for engaging other government agencies by public examination authorities, establishing norms and guidelines, and reporting incidents of unfair practices.

Pre-examination activities such as audits, candidate check-ins, biometric registrations, and invigilation are also covered under the proposed norms.

The Bill outlines 15 illegal acts, including leaking question papers, tampering with OMR sheets, creating fraudulent websites, and issuing counterfeit admit cards.