New Delhi, July 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, by a voice vote after a marathon debate spanning two days, paving the way for tougher legal action against paper leaks and examination-related malpractices.
The Bill amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, with the government asserting that the revised legislation will strengthen transparency, accountability and integrity in public examinations while safeguarding students’ interests.
The amended law provides for stricter penalties, including imprisonment of up to 10 years, fines of up to Rs 10 crore, confiscation of assets of those found guilty and a mechanism aimed at ensuring disposal of cases within three months.
The debate saw sharp exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches. While the NDA defended the Bill as a major step towards curbing organised examination fraud, Opposition parties questioned whether the amendments addressed the root causes behind recurring paper leaks and irregularities.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the protests by students against examination irregularities reflected the concerns of the country’s youth and deserved respect from all political parties. During the debate, he also targeted the RSS over its alleged influence on the education system and accused the government of using excessive force against student protesters, remarks that triggered strong protests from the BJP.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju challenged Gandhi to substantiate his allegations or apologise to the House, while Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh rejected the claims, saying no evidence had been presented to support them.
Replying to the debate, Singh said the government had incorporated suggestions from multiple stakeholders while finalising the amendments. He said penalties for service providers, directors, senior management and other responsible officials had been significantly enhanced to strengthen accountability.
The revised legislation also increases punishment for organised examination rackets, prescribing a minimum prison term of seven years along with fines of up to Rs 10 crore.
Several MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Anurag Thakur, Tejasvi Surya and Supriya Sule, participated in the discussion before the Bill was passed.
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