Guwahati: The Centre is set to introduce a Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday to strengthen India’s anti-paper leak law, marking the next phase of examination reforms following widespread protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.
Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh is expected to table the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 around noon.
Ahead of the debate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju appealed to all political parties to participate in the discussion instead of disrupting proceedings.
“Today, a concrete Bill is being brought against exam paper leaks. It will be tabled in the Lok Sabha. We want all parties to take part in the discussion. If you do not participate and cause a ruckus instead, it will not send out a good message,” Rijiju said.
According to sources, the BJP-led NDA plans to field several young Members of Parliament during the debate, seeking to connect with the concerns of students and young voters following months of protests over examination-related issues.
Among those expected to participate are Bansuri Swaraj and Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Saayoni Ghosh and Mitali Bagh (Trinamool Congress), Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), Lalan Singh (JD(U)), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Sunil Tatkare (NCP), Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal), and Arun Bharti (LJP-Ram Vilas). The discussion on the Bill is expected to continue for eight to ten hours.
Questions related to the Ministry of Education are also scheduled during Monday’s Question Hour. Newly appointed Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi has been briefed by officials and is expected to be present in the House.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, making the law more stringent and expanding measures to tackle examination malpractice.
Besides increasing penalties for paper leaks and organised examination fraud, the Bill proposes the establishment of fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials. It also aims to complete cases related to examination offences within two months.
Under the proposed amendments, individuals found guilty of using unfair means in public examinations could face a minimum of five years’ imprisonment, extendable to ten years, along with a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
For organised examination fraud involving criminal syndicates, the Bill prescribes a minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which may extend further, along with fines of up to Rs 10 crore.
The amendment also expands the list of punishable offences by identifying 15 forms of examination malpractice, including leaking question papers, tampering with OMR sheets, creating fake examination websites and issuing forged admit cards.
The Centre accelerated its examination reform agenda after large-scale student protests over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations, which culminated in the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend long-term reforms for India’s examination system. The panel has been tasked with improving transparency, strengthening digital security and enhancing the credibility of national-level competitive examinations.