At least 5 years in jail, Rs 50 lakh fine: New anti-paper leak law highlights
A Bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was introduced in the Lok Sabha, proposing significantly harsher penalties for examination fraud.
The amendment raises the minimum jail term for offences such as leaking question papers, tampering with answer sheets (OMR sheets), and impersonation, and increases the maximum monetary fine.
It empowers the Central Government to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) for faster investigation of exam-related offences whenever required.
States and Union Territories are directed to designate special fast-track courts exclusively for these offences, with trials to be completed within three months of the chargesheet being filed.
Investigations under the amended law must be completed within two months.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024
This Act was enacted in 2024 to curb organised cheating, question-paper leaks, and impersonation in public examinations conducted by central government agencies and bodies, following widespread concerns over leaks in high-stakes recruitment and entrance exams (such as NEET-UG and UGC-NET, both conducted by the National Testing Agency). It criminalises a range of "unfair means," including leaking exam material, tampering with computer networks used for exams, and impersonating candidates.
Key Details
- Original 2024 Act, Section 10(1): imprisonment of 3 to 5 years and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh for individuals committing unfair means offences.
- Section 10(2): fine of up to ₹1 crore on service providers found responsible for offences.
- The Act applies to public examinations conducted by specified central bodies, such as the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Boards, and the National Testing Agency.
The 2026 Amendment Bill tightens exactly these provisions, reflecting continued policy focus on examination integrity as a governance and social-equity issue affecting millions of aspirants.
The 2026 Amendment: Enhanced Penalties and Institutional Mechanisms
The amendment substantially raises the punishment thresholds under Section 10 and adds new institutional mechanisms — a Special Task Force and mandatory fast-track courts — to speed up enforcement.
Key Details
- Section 10(1) imprisonment enhanced from 3–5 years to 5–10 years; fine raised from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
- Fine on service providers under Section 10(2) raised from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore; minimum imprisonment for directors/senior management of such service providers raised from 3 years to 5 years.
- Mandates every State/UT to designate fast-track courts to complete trials within three months of chargesheet filing, and investigations to conclude within two months.
- Empowers the Central Government to set up a Special Task Force (STF) for examination-offence investigations.
These changes directly address gaps identified after implementation of the 2024 Act — namely, weak deterrence from earlier penalty levels and slow investigation/trial timelines — by both raising the cost of offending and building dedicated enforcement infrastructure.
- Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act enacted in 2024; amendment Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha on 27 July 2026.
- Individual offence penalty raised from 3–5 years/₹10 lakh fine to 5–10 years/₹50 lakh fine.
- Service-provider fine raised from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore.
- Investigation deadline: 2 months; fast-track trial deadline: 3 months from chargesheet.