Parliament on Thursday approved a bill to amend the law against paper-leaking, providing for tougher penalties for offenses related to public exams. The government said it was acting on issues affecting students and sought cooperation from all sectors to tackle the problem.
of Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill2026 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on a voice vote amid a walkout by the opposition, a day after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha.
Under the bill, individuals involved in paper leakage or examination rigging will receive jail terms of a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
For organized crimes, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.
The amendment bill seeks to empower all state governments and Union Territory administrations to designate any sessions court as a special fast track court to try offenses under the proposed law.
It also provides that the proceedings in these courts will continue on a daily basis and the trial will be completed within three months from the date of the filing of the charge sheet.
The bill also authorizes the central government to create a special task force to investigate any criminal offence, if necessary.
(With data from PTI)
