India's 2026 Public Examinations Amendment Bill raises penalties for cheating, faces implementation hurdles

Published Jul 29, 01:14 PM UTC

The Indian Union Government introduced and passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on July 29, 2026, following widespread protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Bill significantly increases penalties for organized exam malpractice, raising fines from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore and extending debarment of service providers from four to eight years. It mandates time-bound investigations (two months) and speedy trials (three months from charge sheet filing). However, analysis by PRS Legislative Research highlights implementation hurdles: the Bill lacks provisions for extending investigation timelines if unmet, unlike other laws such as the Lokpal Act. The three-month trial deadline may conflict with a 2002 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits prescribing outer limits for criminal proceedings. The Bill also empowers the central government to form a special task force and requires states to designate Special Fast Track Courts for adjudication.