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The Lok Sabha on Wednesday, July 29, passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing stricter punishment of up to 10 years' imprisonment and a Rs 50 lakh fine for paper leak offences. The legislation was passed days after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.
The Bill, introduced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on July 27, was passed by voice vote after a heated debate in the House and now awaits consideration in the Rajya Sabha. It seeks to establish dedicated fast-track courts in every state to exclusively hear paper leak cases, mandates that investigations be completed within two months, and proposes tougher penalties for individuals and organised syndicates involved in examination paper leaks.
The debate on the Bill was marked by sharp exchanges between the government and the Opposition over the police action against students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests in Delhi. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had authorised the use of force against students.
"The Home Minister ordered the shooting of our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot," Rahul said, adding that "the use of force can only be authorised by the Minister or the Prime Minister."
His remarks triggered protests from BJP-led NDA members, who demanded that he substantiate the allegations and apologise. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reminded members that allegations made in the House must be supported by evidence. Responding to Rahul, Jitendra Singh rejected the allegations as "factually incorrect". He said no bullets were fired and no order to open fire had been issued during the protests, adding that only tear gas had been used. Jitendra also said an order to open fire could only be issued by a magistrate, not by the police.
Defending the legislation, Jitendra said the amendments reflected the Union government's willingness to strengthen the existing anti-paper leak law based on its experience with the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. He said the government had acted swiftly in the NEET paper leak case and that 52 FIRs had been registered since the law came into force.
He said the proposed amendments prescribe imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh for those convicted of leaking examination papers, while organised paper leak syndicates could face fines of up to Rs 10 crore. Jitendra added that fines for service providers had been increased from up to Rs 1 crore to up to Rs 5 crore, and penalties for directors, management personnel and officials responsible for conducting examinations had also been enhanced. Referring to official data, he said the number of suicides linked to paper leak incidents had declined in recent years.
The Bill comes in the backdrop of a 36-day nationwide agitation led by the CJP over the alleged NEET paper leak and examination irregularities. The protests began at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 20 and intensified after educationist Sonam Wangchuk joined an indefinite fast on June 28. Demonstrators demanded accountability from the Union government, reforms to the National Testing Agency (NTA), greater transparency in the examination system and action against those responsible for repeated paper leaks.
The protests escalated on July 20 when police stopped demonstrators marching towards Parliament, triggering allegations of excessive force, including the use of pellet guns against students. Delhi Police denied using pellet guns, while the CRPF has not publicly responded to allegations involving the Rapid Action Force.
The agitation ended on July 25 after the Union government accepted several demands raised by the protesters, including the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the promise of the maximum possible compensation for families of students who died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper leak controversy, and the withdrawal of FIRs filed by the Centre and state governments against protesters.
Soon after the Bill was passed, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi welcomed the legislation in a post on X, saying the amended law would strengthen the legal framework to curb examination malpractice and safeguard the credibility of public examinations. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day immediately after the Bill was passed.
