Government Moves to Tighten Law Against Exam Malpractice

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the amendment builds on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, India's first comprehensive law to tackle unfair practices in public examinations.

The Government of India has introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing tougher punishments and faster legal action against those involved in examination-related crimes. The proposed amendments are designed to strengthen the integrity of public examinations and protect the interests of millions of students and job aspirants across the country.

Introducing the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said the legislation reinforces the government's commitment to ensuring that honest students are not disadvantaged by organised cheating or question paper leaks.

Tougher Penalties for Exam Fraud

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the amendment builds on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, India's first comprehensive law to tackle unfair practices in public examinations.

The Bill proposes increasing the punishment for individuals involved in examination malpractice from three to five years' imprisonment to five to ten years. The maximum fine would also rise from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.

For service providers found guilty of facilitating such offences, the maximum fine is proposed to increase from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, while the period during which they can be barred from conducting public examinations would double from four years to eight years.

The proposed amendments also introduce stricter penalties for directors and senior management of service providers, with prison terms of five to ten years and fines of up to ₹5 crore.

Stronger Action Against Organised Crime

The government has also proposed harsher punishment for organised examination-related crime.

Under the Amendment Bill, offenders involved in organised cheating networks could face seven to ten years' imprisonment, compared with the existing provision of five to ten years. The maximum financial penalty would increase from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said stronger deterrents are necessary because incidents of question paper leaks and examination fraud have occurred in different states over the years, affecting the credibility of recruitment and admission processes.

The existing law already covers examinations conducted by agencies including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Faster Investigations and Trials

To ensure quicker justice, the Amendment Bill proposes the establishment of Special Fast Track Courts for offences related to public examinations.

The legislation sets a target of completing investigations within two months, while trials should be concluded within three months after the filing of the charge sheet.

The Bill also empowers the Central Government to assign investigations to a Special Task Force, enabling faster action against organised examination rackets operating across multiple regions.

Protecting Students' Future

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the proposed reforms reflect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to making India's examination system secure and transparent. He informed Parliament that work is already underway to establish Special Fast Track Courts and implement recommendations made by a high-level expert committee formed to make public examinations "leak-proof."

According to the Minister, the amendments are intended to ensure that students succeed through merit while strengthening public confidence in the fairness, transparency and credibility of India's examination system.