10-year jail, ₹50 lakh fine: Lok Sabha approves anti-paper leak bill; key details inside

Amid sloganeering by Opposition parties and in the shadow of recent student protests over paper leaks, the Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved the bill to amend the anti-paper leak law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of ₹50 lakh.

The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by voice vote, with the Narendra Modi-led government saying the legislation reflected its willingness to strengthen safeguards against examination malpractice based on experience. The bill was introduced in the House by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on July 27, days after large-scale student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as the education minister.

What the bill proposes

The proposed legislation seeks to set up dedicated fast-track courts in every state to hear paper leak cases, while requiring investigations to be completed within two months. It also proposes tougher penalties, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to ₹50 lakh for those convicted of leaking examination papers.

Organised paper leak syndicates could face fines of up to ₹10 crore under the proposed changes, as the government moved to strengthen deterrence and safeguard the credibility of public examinations.

Government's defence of the amendments

Defending the bill in the Lok Sabha, Jitendra Singh said the government had acted swiftly in the NEET paper leak case and remained committed to strengthening the integrity of public examinations. He said the amendments showed the government's commitment to ensuring the integrity, transparency and credibility of public examinations.

Singh told the House that 52 FIRs had been registered since the anti-paper leak law came into force in 2024. He also said the amendment bill showed that the government was open to learning from experience, and noted that the rate of suicides linked to paper leaks had declined in recent years.

Sharp exchanges in the House

The debate on the bill was marked by sharp political exchanges after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of ordering police action against students during the Cockroach Janta Party-led anti-paper leak protests. The debate was also marked by protests over Gandhi's allegation that Shah was responsible for firing on students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Amit Shah was not present in the House when the remarks were made. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju demanded that Gandhi substantiate his claims, while BJP and NDA members accused him of making unverified allegations and called for an apology. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reminded members that accusations made in the House must be supported by evidence.

During his reply, Singh also criticised Rahul Gandhi, saying he lacked knowledge of parliamentary norms and the functioning of the government.

The Lok Sabha approved the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 amid the disruptions, and the House was adjourned for the day immediately after its passage.