Archive · 30 Jul 2026
India Passes Bill to Strengthen Exam Integrity and Punishment
India’s Parliament just passed a new law to make it harder for people to cheat on exams.
The law says that if someone leaks exam papers, they can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a lot of money.
It also says that special courts will look at these cases quickly, in about five months.
The law was made after a big protest when the NEET exam paper was leaked in May.
The government wants to keep exams fair for everyone.
Lok Sabha passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by voice vote after NEET paper leak protests.
Bill increases penalties: imprisonment up to 10 years for individuals, fines up to ₹50 lakh; service providers face fines up to ₹5 crore and bans up to 8 years.
Fast‑track courts and a Special Task Force are mandated to expedite investigations within five months.
The amendment follows the 2024 Act, which was enacted to curb exam paper leaks after the May 2024 NEET leak.
The government plans to set up fast‑track courts in four High Courts handling NEET leak cases.
- Who
- Indian Parliament and government officials
- What
- Passed an amendment bill to increase penalties for exam paper leaks
- When
- July 20, 2026
- Where
- Lok Sabha, New Delhi
- Why
- To address NEET paper leak protests and strengthen exam integrity
- Bill name
- Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Passed by
- Lok Sabha (voice vote)
- Date passed
- July 20, 2026
- Key penalty increase
- Imprisonment up to 10 years, fines up to ₹50 lakh for individuals; fines up to ₹5 crore and bans up to 8 years for service providers
- Fast‑track courts
- Mandated with 5‑month investigation and trial timeline
- Special Task Force
- Authorized for investigations under the Act