Lok Sabha Clears Amendments to Anti-Paper Leak Bill

Anti-Paper Leak Amendment Bill Passed in Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha approves tougher anti-paper leak law, mandating fast-track trials, quicker investigations, and harsher penalties for examination fraud nationwide.

By Pranjal Gupta

New Delhi, July 29: Amid an uproar in the Lok Sabha, the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was passed on Wednesday. Under the new changes, anyone responsible for question paper leaks or using unfair means in exams will face up to 10 years in jail and a Rs 50 lakh fine. The bill was introduced in the Lower House by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on July 27 after nationwide protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which originated at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Before the bill was passed, Opposition leaders raised questions over the use of pellet guns on protesting students on July 20 during the 'Chalo Sansad' march in Delhi. The House was adjourned twice after the situation escalated due to the absence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the discussion. The Opposition demanded that Shah address the firing incident, saying the RAF (Rapid Action Force) comes under the jurisdiction of his ministry.

In the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Jitendra Singh stated that the government acted swiftly in the NEET paper leak case, and that as many as 52 FIRs have been lodged since the anti-paper leak law came into force in 2024.

Anti-Paper Leak Amendment Bill Passed in Lok Sabha: Stricter penalties and faster investigations into public examination fraud included. (File Image)

Immediately after the passage of the bill, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.

Anti-Paper Leak Amendment Bill

Here is what bill that amends a 2024 law says:

1. Empowers all state governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations to designate any Sessions Court as a Special Fast Track Court to try offences under the proposed law.

   
   

2. Provides that proceedings in such Special Fast Track Courts be conducted on a day-to-day basis, and that trials be completed within three months from the date of filing of the chargesheet.

   
   

3. Empowers the central government to constitute a Special Task Force to investigate any offence.

   
   

4. Provides that investigations into offences under the legislation be completed within two months.

   
   

5. Empowers all state governments and UT administrations to appoint one or more Special Public Prosecutors to conduct cases under the legislation.

   
   

6. Provides an appeal mechanism against any judgment, sentence, or order before a bench of two High Court judges, with disposal of the appeal within three months from the date of its admission.

   
   

7. Under the new law, individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means in exams will face a minimum jail term of five years and a maximum of 10 years, along with a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

   
   

8. For organised crimes, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.

   
   

The 2024 law was enacted after the government faced widespread controversy over paper leaks. Before this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in conducting public examinations by the central government and its agencies.

The law aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railways, banking recruitment examinations, and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others.

Having been passed by the Lok Sabha, the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill will now be introduced in the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House) for debate and voting.

(With PTI Inputs)