- The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026 on Wednesday
- The bill aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations like NEET UG
- The move follows widespread public outrage over the NEET UG paper leak incident
The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 on Wednesday in the monsoon session of the parliament, following widespread public outrage over NEET UG paper leak.
The bill has been passed after much debate between the incumbent government and opposition parties in the lower house. It follows massive Gen Z-led protests across the country.
The Bill seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 by increasing prison terms, raising financial penalties, and introducing strict timelines for investigations and trials.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said the legislation represented the government's commitment to protecting the interests of students and youth, while moving the bill for consideration. Singh described the amendment as a step towards making the existing framework more effective and stringent.
The amendment bill indicates that the government is open to learning from experience, he said, noting that the rate of suicide related to paper leaks has also reduced over the last few years.
He criticised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, stating that he lacks knowledge of parliamentary norms and the functioning of the government. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day immediately after the passage of the bill.
The original 2024 law was introduced after a series of examination paper leaks and was enforced in June that year. It identified 15 categories of offences, including leaking question papers or answer keys, operating fake examination websites, and facilitating unfair practices.
The law categorised all offences as cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, while candidates themselves remained outside its scope.
Public Dissent
Over a dozen students died by suicide after the NEET paper leak and announcement of the re-exam. On June 6, the Cockroach Janata Party organised its first major physical protest at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks.
Joining the protest, renowned environmentalist, educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk had begun an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 28, with the betterment of India's education system as one of the key demands.
Soon, the agitation spread beyond Delhi with protestors taking to the streets in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Patna, Nagpur, and other cities as well.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.