New Delhi, July 29: The Lok Sabha approved the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Wednesday, introducing severe penalties including up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50 lakh to curb exam malpractices.
The lower house witnessed intense opposition protests and continuous sloganeering throughout the session, leading to its immediate adjournment for the day following the passage of the legislation.
Addressing the lower house, Union Minister Jitendra Singh affirmed that the central government acted swiftly during the recent NEET paper leak cases. He noted that authorities have registered 52 FIRs since the implementation of the original legislation in 2024.
“The amendment Bill indicates that the government was open to learning from experience,” Union Minister Jitendra Singh declared inside the house. He maintained that suicide rates associated with examination leaks have shown a decline in recent years.
The legislative step follows intense student demonstrations organized by the Cockroach Janta Party, which led to the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The amendment bill was officially introduced in Parliament on July 27 by Minister Singh.
Taking aim at the opposition during his speech, Singh asserted that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi lacked proper understanding regarding parliamentary traditions and governance procedures.
