The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by a voice vote, introducing stricter penalties for examination malpractices, mandating time-bound investigations and trials, and providing for Special Fast Track Courts to deal with offences under the law.

The Bill amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was enacted to curb the use of unfair means in public examinations and deter organised cheating networks.

The Bill was introduced by the Union Government in the wake of the nationwide protests by the students against the exam paper leaks, which culminated in the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union Education Minister on July 25.

Among the key changes, the Bill increases the minimum punishment for persons resorting to unfair means from three years to five years' imprisonment, while the maximum sentence is enhanced from five years to ten years. The maximum fine is also increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.

For service providers involved in exam-related offences, the maximum fine has been raised from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, and the period during which they can be barred from conducting public examinations has been increased from four years to eight years. Directors and senior management found complicit in such offences will face a minimum of five years' imprisonment, with fines increased from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore.

The punishment for organised crimes relating to public examinations has also been tightened. The minimum imprisonment has been increased from five years to seven years, while the minimum fine has been enhanced from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore.

To ensure swift investigation, the Bill mandates that investigations be completed within two months. It also empowers the Central Government to constitute a Special Task Force for probing offences under the Act, in addition to referring cases to a Central Investigating Agency.

The legislation further requires every State Government and Union Territory Administration, in consultation with the concerned High Court, to designate a Court of Session as a Special Fast Track Court for trying offences under the Act. Trials are to be conducted on a day-to-day basis and completed within three months from the filing of the chargesheet. Pending cases under the Act will also stand transferred to these Special Fast Track Courts.

The Bill also introduces a dedicated appellate mechanism. Appeals against judgments, sentences or orders of the Special Fast Track Courts will lie before a Division Bench of the High Court, which is expected to dispose of such appeals, as far as possible, within three months of their admission. Appeals against bail orders have also been specifically provided for.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the amendments were prompted by recent incidents of question paper leaks and examination malpractices that undermined the transparency and credibility of public examinations. The government said the changes are intended to strengthen the fairness of the examination system, ensure time-bound investigations and trials, and enhance deterrence through stricter punishments.

Click here to read the Bill (as introduced)