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The Lok Sabha passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by voice vote, sharply raising punishments under the 2024 Act.
Individual offender punishment rises from 3-5 years/₹10 lakh fine to 5-10 years/₹50 lakh fine; service-provider fines rise to ₹5 crore and debarment doubles to 8 years; organised-crime punishment rises to 7-10 years/₹10 crore fine.
The Bill creates Special Fast Track Courts (2-month investigation, 3-month trial), Special Public Prosecutors and a Special Task Force; 52 FIRs have already been registered under the 2024 Act.
Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated students on the Bill's passage; reply given by Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS Personnel.
Original law (in force from 21 June 2024) covering UPSC, SSC, RRBs, IBPS and NTA exams; made offences cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable
Enhances punishments/fines, creates Special Fast Track Courts, Special Public Prosecutors and a Special Task Force
Major recruitment/examination-conducting bodies whose exams are covered under the Act
To be constituted by the Government to investigate offences under the Act
The 2024 Act — passed by Parliament in February 2024 and in force from 21 June 2024 — created India's first comprehensive law specifically against organised cheating and paper leaks in public examinations conducted by bodies like UPSC, SSC, RRBs, IBPS and NTA, making such offences cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. The 2026 Amendment Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha, sharply raises punishments and fines, adds Special Fast Track Courts with strict investigation/trial timelines, and empowers a Special Task Force — responding to enforcement experience since 2024, during which 52 FIRs have been registered.
Simple Analogy: The 2024 Act built the legal cage around exam cheating; the 2026 amendment tightens the bars and speeds up the trial, based on what enforcement has learned in two years.
Widely cited as the trigger event that accelerated enforcement focus and, indirectly, this strengthening amendment
A Prime Minister-announced expert task force whose recommendations are being implemented alongside this legislative strengthening
GS Paper 2 > Polity > Parliament & Legislation; Governance > Examination Reforms
High — examination-integrity legislation is a recurring, high-salience UPSC/SSC topic
Offence categories under the 2024 Act meaning police can arrest without a warrant, bail is not a right, and the case cannot be privately settled
Courts to be set up under the 2026 amendment specifically for public-examination offences, with 2-month investigation and 3-month trial timelines