Longer jail terms, higher fines and faster trials; here are key points about Public Examinations Amendment Bill

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday began discussions on the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill 2026 which aims to introduce stricter punishments and stronger safeguards against examination fraud including paper leaks and organised malpracticeThe proposed legislation seeks to amend the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 as the government looks to improve accountability in competitive examinations and protect students from unfair practicesUnion Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh said that the amendment reflects the governments commitment to safeguarding the interests of students and young aspirants reported the IANSThe government has described the Bill as an important reform to make the existing examination security system more effective and prevent largescale cheating and manipulationThe original Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 was introduced after several incidents involving examination paper leaksThe law identified 15 categories of offences with major ones including Leaking question papers or answer keys Running fake examination websites Helping candidates use unfair methods Manipulating examination processesUnder the existing law offences are classified as cognisable nonbailable and noncompoundable However candidates appearing for examinations were kept outside the scope of punishmentHarsher punishments proposedAccording to the IANS the amendment Bill proposes higher penalties for individuals and organisations involved in examination fraudIndividuals found guilty of using unfair means would face Minimum imprisonment increased from three years to five years Maximum punishment increased to 10 years Maximum fine increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakhStricter penalties for service providersThe Bill proposes stronger action against agencies and service providers involved in conducting public examinationsSuch organisations could face Fines of up to Rs 5 crore increased from the earlier limit of Rs 1 crore A ban on conducting public examinations for up to eight years instead of four years Organised Exam Fraud to Attract Severe PunishmentFor organised attempts to manipulate examinations the proposed punishment would increaseThe minimum jail term would rise from five years to seven years along with a proposed fine of Rs 10 croreThe government says that these provisions are aimed at targeting organised networks involved in largescale examination fraudFasttrack Investigations and Trials ProposedThe Bill also introduces strict timelines for investigations and court proceedingsUnder the proposed system Investigations must be completed within two months of a case being referred by the Central Government States and Union Territories will need to designate session courts for such cases Trials should be completed within three months after filing of the chargesheet Appeals in High Courts should be handled by twojudge benches within a similar timeframe as far as possibleAccording to the government said the amendment is designed to strengthen trust in public examinations and ensure that honest students are not affected by fraud or manipulation the news agency reportedThe proposed changes come amid growing concerns among students and aspirants over paper leaks and irregularities in major competitive examinationswith IANS inputs