Public Examinations Amendment Bill Explained: How is the government preparing to curb paper leaks?

The Centre on Monday introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, proposing sweeping changes to India's anti-paper leak law with tougher punishments, time-bound investigations, special fast-track courts and higher financial penalties to crack down on organised examination fraud.

The Bill seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was enacted to curb unfair practices in public examinations conducted by agencies such as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), National Testing Agency (NTA), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), central government ministries and other authorities notified by the Centre.

The move comes amid repeated instances of paper leaks and examination malpractices that have affected recruitment and entrance examinations across the country, leading to cancellations, delays and loss of confidence among millions of candidates.

“This Bill is an important step towards strengthening trust in India's assessment ecosystem. Our experience in advancing assessment research and delivering secure, high-stakes examinations across countries has consistently shown that lasting assessment integrity is built through a combination of strong governance, secure technology, rigorous processes and continuous innovation. The Bill provides an important policy framework, and when complemented by globally proven assessment practices, it can help India build a future-ready examination system where every candidate is assessed fairly, securely and on merit,” said Karan Lalit, Executive Director, South Asia, TOEFL & GRE, ETS. 

Sharper penalties for offenders

The proposed legislation significantly raises the punishment for individuals and organisations involved in examination fraud. A person found guilty of using unfair means will face imprisonment ranging from five to 10 years, compared with the existing provision of three to five years. The maximum fine has also been increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.

For service providers, including examination agencies, technology vendors and other entities involved in conducting examinations, the maximum financial penalty has been increased from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore. Persons in charge of such organisations will now face a minimum prison term of five years along with a fine of ₹5 crore if found guilty.

The Bill also introduces tougher provisions against organised crime syndicates involved in paper leaks. Such offences will attract a minimum imprisonment of seven years and a minimum fine of ₹10 crore, up from the existing minimum fine of ₹1 crore.

Time-bound investigation and trial

A key feature of the amendment is the introduction of fixed timelines for investigation and trial. The Bill mandates that investigations into offences under the Act must be completed within two months.

To ensure speedy disposal of cases, every state and Union Territory will be required to designate a Special Fast Track Court for offences under the Act. These courts will conduct day-to-day hearings and complete trials within three months from the filing of the chargesheet. Pending cases under the Act will also be transferred to these courts.

The Bill further provides that appeals against judgments, sentences or orders of these courts will be heard by a two-judge bench of the respective High Court. Appeals are expected to be disposed of within three months and must generally be filed within 30 days.

Special Task Force and longer debarment

The amendment also empowers the central government to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) to investigate offences under the Act, in addition to referring cases to central investigating agencies wherever necessary.

Another important change relates to service providers found guilty of unfair practices. The period for which such entities can be barred from participating in the conduct of public examinations has been doubled from four years to eight years.

With stricter criminal penalties, higher monetary fines, mandatory investigation timelines and dedicated fast-track courts, the government aims to strengthen the legal framework against paper leaks and restore the credibility of India's public examination system. The Bill will now be taken up for discussion and consideration in Parliament.