New anti-paper leak bill passed in Lok Sabha amid Opposition uproar
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in Lok Sabha and passed by voice vote.
The amendment raises the prescribed punishment for using unfair means in public examinations, including paper leaks, from three-to-five years' imprisonment to five-to-ten years, and increases the maximum fine from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
The Bill also provides for fast-track adjudication, asset confiscation of those found guilty, and quicker disposal of examination-offence cases.
It amends the parent Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which came into force in June 2024 to cover examinations conducted by central government agencies, including the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The Bill now awaits consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha before it can receive presidential assent and take effect.
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — Parent Legislation
The Act was enacted to curb organised cheating, paper leaks, and impersonation in public examinations conducted by central government bodies. It came into force on June 21, 2024, following recurring integrity concerns around large-scale recruitment and entrance examinations, including NEET-UG and UGC-NET. Section 3 of the Act criminalises a specific list of "unfair means," including leaking the question paper or answer key, unauthorised assistance to a candidate, tampering with computer networks/OMR sheets/seating arrangements, and running fake examination websites.
Key Details
- Received presidential assent: February 2024; brought into force: June 21, 2024
- Covers public examinations conducted by the Central Government and its agencies, including the National Testing Agency (NTA)
- Section 3 lists specific offences constituting "unfair means" (leaking papers, tampering with systems, impersonation, fake websites, etc.)
- A special fast-track court was designated at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court to try offences under the Act
The 2026 Amendment Bill builds directly on this 2024 framework, retaining its offence structure but substantially raising penalties and procedural speed, in response to continuing examination-integrity concerns.
Legislative Procedure — Ordinary Bill and Bicameral Passage
An ordinary bill (as distinct from a Money Bill or Constitutional Amendment Bill) must be passed by a simple majority in both Houses of Parliament before being presented for presidential assent under Article 111. Passage in the Lok Sabha alone does not make a bill law — it must clear an identical process in the Rajya Sabha, and any amendments made by one House must be agreed to by the other, or the bill goes to a joint sitting under Article 108 in case of persistent disagreement.
Key Details
- Ordinary bills require simple majority (of members present and voting) in each House — Article 107
- Article 111: the President may assent, withhold assent, or (for non-Money Bills) return the bill for reconsideration
- Article 108: joint sitting mechanism for deadlock between the two Houses on an ordinary bill (never invoked for a Money Bill)
- A bill lapses on dissolution of the Lok Sabha if pending there, but a bill pending in the Rajya Sabha (not yet passed by the Lok Sabha) does not lapse
Having cleared the Lok Sabha, the Amendment Bill must still be passed by the Rajya Sabha before it can be sent for presidential assent and become law — a live example of the two-stage bicameral process for ordinary legislation.
Right to Equality in Public Examinations and Administrative Law
Examination malpractice implicates Article 14 (equality before law) and the broader constitutional value of a fair, merit-based public examination system, since paper leaks and cheating undermine equal opportunity for all candidates. Courts have historically intervened to cancel compromised examinations or order re-tests where systemic integrity was found compromised, treating examination fairness as integral to the rule of law governing public employment and public education access.
Key Details
- Article 14: guarantees equality before law and equal protection of laws, extended by courts to fairness in public recruitment/examination processes
- Article 16: guarantees equality of opportunity in matters of public employment, directly engaged when recruitment exams are compromised
- Examination-integrity legislation is generally treated as falling under the Union's power to regulate its own recruitment and testing machinery (agencies like NTA, UPSC, SSC)
The enhanced penalty structure in the 2026 Amendment is framed as a deterrence mechanism to protect the constitutional guarantee of equal opportunity in public examinations and employment.
- Amendment Bill passed: Lok Sabha, July 29, 2026 (introduced July 27, 2026)
- Revised punishment: 5-10 years' imprisonment (up from 3-5 years)
- Revised maximum fine: ₹50 lakh (up from ₹10 lakh)
- Parent Act: Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — in force since June 21, 2024
- Parent Act covers: examinations conducted by Central Government and its agencies, including NTA
- Pending stage: Rajya Sabha consideration and passage, followed by presidential assent