Government Introduces Harsher Penalties for Exam Paper Leaks: New Bill Targets Organized Cheating
The Government introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on July 27, 2026, aiming to strengthen the existing anti-cheating law. The bill proposes stricter penalties, time-bound investigations, and faster trials to curb exam malpractices and protect the integrity of merit-based selections.
The proposed legislation enhances penalties for various offences. For general offences under Section 10(1), imprisonment has been increased from 3–5 years to 5–10 years, and fines from up to ₹10 lakh to up to ₹50 lakh. Service providers face fines up to ₹5 crore (up from ₹1 crore), and their directors and management can face imprisonment of 3–10 years along with fines up to ₹5 crore. In-charge personnel under Section 10(3) will face 5–10 years of imprisonment and fines up to ₹5 crore, increased from the earlier 3–10 years and ₹1 crore.
Organised crime networks involved in exam malpractices face a minimum of 7 years in jail (up from 5 years) and fines up to ₹10 crore (up from ₹1 crore), as per Section 11(1). The bill mandates that investigations be completed within 60 days, and trials must conclude within three months of filing the chargesheet in designated Special Fast Track Courts. Appeals in High Courts must be heard by a Division Bench and resolved within three months.
To address procedural delays, courts are restricted from granting adjournments beyond the following day without written exceptional reasons. All ongoing cases under the 2024 anti-cheating law will be transferred to these special courts, and states and Union Territories must appoint Special Public Prosecutors for these trials. Notably, no convictions have occurred under the 2024 Act since it came into effect in June 2024, highlighting the need for stricter measures.
