Longer jail terms, faster trials: Proposed key changes in anti-cheating law

The Centre will introduce the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The move follows the NEET-UG paper leak row and seeks faster trials with tougher penalties.Union Minister JP Nadda and MoS Jitendra Singh with CJP Spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.The Union government is set to table the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 27, as it seeks to strengthen the legal framework against examination-related fraud. The amendments are aimed at strengthening the 2024 law by introducing harsher punishments, ensuring time-bound investigations and trials, and creating special fast-track courts to ensure speedy justice.The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to significantly strengthen India's legal framework against examination malpractices by introducing tougher penalties, faster investigations, and time-bound trials. The proposed amendments aim to improve accountability, deter organised examination-related fraud, and restore confidence in the country's public examination system.WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS BRINGING AMENDMENT BILLThe amendment bill is being brought against the backdrop of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which sparked widespread protests by students across the country and intensified demands for tougher anti-cheating laws, greater transparency, and stronger accountability in the conduct of public examinations. The move comes just hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called off its protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday, saying the government had agreed to its principal demands and assured action on the issue.As per the Lok Sabha's list of business, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh is scheduled to introduce the legislation. Following its introduction, he is also expected to seek the House's approval to take up the Bill for discussion and passage. Amid escalating protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and mounting political pressure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled a series of measures aimed at tackling examination fraud, including the creation of fast-track courts to expedite trials in paper leak cases.The announcement came as students continued demonstrations in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while the issue also dominated proceedings in Parliament. Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday. "We have decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Have directed the concerned authorities and officials to take all necessary steps in this regard," the Prime Minister said.PM Modi stressed that safeguarding students' interests remained a key priority for his government and warned that any attempt to compromise the future of young aspirants would be dealt with firmly. He added that the fast-track courts were part of a broader strategy to strengthen the integrity of the country's examination system.The announcement followed criticism of the government's handling of protests, particularly after police action against demonstrators marching towards Parliament on July 20.Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi intensified his attack on the government, alleging that there had been 152 examination paper leaks over the past decade without a single conviction. He argued that the recurring incidents had severely undermined India's education system and called for greater accountability.WHAT CHANGES FROM THE 2024 LAW?Against this backdrop, let us see how this amendment differs from the principal 2024 Act, which was enacted with the objective of bringing greater transparency, fairness, and credibility to the public examination system, inspiring confidence among candidates and effectively deterring persons, organised groups, and institutions from indulging in unfair means.STRICTER PUNISHMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISED CRIME FRAUDOne of the most significant changes proposed in the Bill is the enhancement of punishments for those found guilty of examination fraud. The proposed amendments significantly enhance penalties for both individual offenders and organised examination-related fraud.For individuals found guilty of using unfair means in public examinations, the Bill proposes increasing the prison term to five to 10 years, up from the existing three to five years. It also seeks to raise the maximum fine from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, signalling a much tougher stance against examination malpractice.The legislation also introduces stricter punishments for organised examination-related crimes. The minimum imprisonment for those involved in organised paper leak rackets or cheating networks has been increased from five years to seven years, while the minimum fine has been raised tenfold—from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore. The enhanced penalties are aimed at deterring large-scale examination fraud and dismantling organised criminal networks involved in such offences.TOUGHER ACTION AGAINST SERVICE PROVIDERSThe Bill also proposes stringent action against service providers—including agencies or organisations responsible for conducting examinations—if they are found complicit in examination malpractice. The maximum financial penalty for such entities has been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore, while the period during which they can be barred from conducting examinations has been doubled from four years to eight years.Corporate accountability has also been strengthened under the proposed legislation. Directors, senior management personnel, or any individual responsible for the affairs of a company found involved in examination fraud will face a minimum prison sentence of five years (the existing minimum is three years), along with fines of Rs 5 crore (the existing fine is Rs 1 crore). The provision aims to ensure that top executives cannot evade responsibility for organised malpractice carried out under their supervision.SPECIAL TASK FORCE AND TIME-BOUND INVESTIGATIONSTo strengthen enforcement, the legislation empowers the Central Government to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) wherever necessary to investigate serious offences related to public examinations. The STF will be tasked with handling complex cases involving organised fraud, large-scale paper leaks, or other major examination-related crimes.The amendment also introduces strict timelines for investigations. Police authorities, central investigating agencies, or the STF will be required to complete investigations into offences under the Act within two months, ensuring that cases are not delayed indefinitely.SPECIAL FAST TRACK COURTS AND QUICKER TRIALSTo ensure speedy resolution of cases, the Bill empowers State governments and Union Territory administrations to designate any Court of Session as a Special Fast Track Court for the exclusive trial of offences under the Act. These dedicated courts will handle cases related to public examination fraud, enabling faster hearings and disposal of matters through a focused judicial process.The Bill mandates day-to-day hearings in these Special Fast Track Courts, with trials expected to be completed within three months of the filing of the chargesheet. This provision is intended to deliver timely justice and strengthen public confidence in the examination system.To support faster prosecution, States and Union Territories will appoint Special Public Prosecutors for these designated courts. These prosecutors will exclusively handle cases under the Act, enabling more focused and efficient legal proceedings.FASTER DISPOSAL OF PENDING CASESAll pending cases under the Act will be transferred to the designated Special Fast Track Courts, which will be required to complete the trials within three months from the date of transfer. These courts will also be empowered to hear and decide connected offences arising from the same matter under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, or any other applicable laws.The proposed amendments also streamline the appeals process. Appeals against judgments delivered by the Special Fast Track Courts will lie directly before a Division Bench of the High Court. The Bill provides that appeals should ordinarily be filed within 30 days, although courts may allow an extension of up to 90 days in exceptional circumstances. It also envisages that High Courts should endeavour to dispose of such appeals within three months, ensuring that legal proceedings are concluded without undue delay.Individual Offences:2024: 3–5 years jail | Rs 10 lakh fine2026: 5–10 years jail | Rs 50 lakh fineOrganised Crime:2024: Min 5 years jail | Rs 1 crore fine2026: Min 7 years jail | Rs 10 crore fineService Providers:2024: Rs 1 crore fine | 4-year ban2026: Rs 5 crore fine | 8-year banInvestigation Window:2024: No deadline2026: Mandatory 60 daysTrial Timeline:2024: Regular court timelines2026: Fast-track court (3-month trial limit)- EndsPublished By: Nitish SinghPublished On: Jul 26, 2026 04:54 IST