The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a draft bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The proposed amendment raises the minimum penalty for individual offenders to five years of imprisonment and introduces a three-month deadline for completing investigations.
Organised paper leaks will attract a maximum jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore under the new draft legislation.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a draft bill on Friday, July 24 to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The government is expected to introduce the proposed amendment legislation in Parliament on Monday, July 27 ANI reported.
Students and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) are currently holding continuous protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over irregularities in the 2026 NEET-UG examination, in response PM Modi announced the upcoming bill during a rare midnight video address on Thursday. The prime minister promised stricter action against paper leaks and said that National Testing Agency (NTA) reforms will be ironed out in a month or two, PTI reported.
Proposed Penalties And Timelines
The planned amendment raises the minimum penalty for individual offenders to five years of imprisonment, accompanied by a fine, PTI reported. Organised paper leaks will attract a jail term of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of ₹10 crore. The draft mandates a strict three-month deadline to complete investigations and requires trials to proceed in designated fast-track courts, the report added.
The existing 2024 law provides for three to five years of imprisonment for individuals. It also prescribes five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹1 crore for those involved in organised paper leaks.
The Delhi Police recently constituted a Special Task Force (STF) in the Crime Branch to investigate paper leaks. Concurrently, the Delhi High Court set up a new Fast Track Court to hear cases under the 2024 Act.
Understanding The 2024 Act
Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act in 2024 to curb paper leaks and malpractices in recruitment exams like UPSC, SSC and entrance tests such as NEET, JEE and CUET. It also covers exams held by the Railways, banking recruitment bodies and all computer-based tests conducted by the NTA.
The original legislation clearly outlines the penal framework. "Any person or persons resorting to unfair means and offences under this Act, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than three years but which may extend to five years and with fine up to ten lakh rupees."
Offences under this Act are cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. In the event of default in payment of the fine, an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944, was also amended in 2024 to include offences punishable under the Act.
An officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police must investigate any offence under this Act. The law also confers powers to the Centre to refer the investigation to any central agency. The legislation aims at safeguarding "merit of our youth and well-being of our children", Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said during the previous parliamentary debate.
