The Union Government on Monday, July 27, 2026) introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, providing stricter penalties for examination leakage. Union Minister Jitendra Singh introduced the Bill, which seeks to amend the two-year-old Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act.The bill comes close on the heels of student-led protests over a leaked paper, which led to the resignation. Dharmendra Pradhan. The purpose of the government, according to the words of the Bill, is to prevent individuals, groups and organizations from engaging in unfair practices that undermine the sanctity of public examinations.However, even the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla giving a six-hour window to debate the Bill, no debate took place on Monday. The House was adjourned for the day as the opposition demanded that the government report the use of police against protesters in Delhi during the July 20 Parliament visit.
What Bill wants
The amendment significantly increases the penalty for those found guilty under the law.
- Imprisonment for individuals has been increased from five years to ten years.
- The fine for each offender has been increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
- Directors, senior managers and officials found to have colluded in leaking the papers now face five years in prison, up from three years.
- For organized crime, the jail term has been increased from five years to seven years, and the fine has been increased from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore.
Special Task Force is an investigative period
The bill allows the Union Government to refer any case of leakage to the Central Investigative Agency. Also, the government has the right to self-governance to set up another team to investigate such cases. To ensure that it is done in time, the Bill sets a deadline of two months to complete the investigation.
Unique Speed Courts
The amendment seeks to establish Special Fast Track Courts in the States and Union Territories to speed up adjudication. These courts are supposed to hold hearings every day and conclude cases within three months from the filing of the charge sheet.To facilitate speedy prosecutions, the Bill calls for federal and state governments to appoint one or more special prosecutors. It also calls for an appellate system where two Supreme Court judges will hear appeals against Fast Track Court decisions. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the decision and withdrawn within three months from the date of approval. The law states that a delay of more than 90 days will be allowed only after the High Court is satisfied with the reason given.
Changes and delays
Speaker Om Birla noted that 91 amendments have been moved to the Bill and emphasized the need to have a unified approach to competitive exams in the country. Debate on the Bill, however, was postponed for another day after the House adjourned due to protests by the Opposition.Opposition parties also demonstrated outside Parliament on Monday against the use of force against protesters on March 20, and said they would continue to question the Union home minister over the incident.