Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026:
The Union Government launched a major reform drive in July 2026, including the termination of 47 National Testing Agency (NTA) officials, the introduction of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, and the constitution of a high–powered task force chaired by former UIDAI chief Nandan Nilekani to overhaul the country’s public examination system and strengthen institutional integrity, following allegations over the integrity of high-stakes examinations such as NEET and the month-long ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP) protests.
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026:
- Harsher Imprisonment Terms: For individuals found guilty of offenses (like leaking papers or tampering with OMR sheets), the minimum jail term has been increased from 3 years to 5 years, with a maximum sentence of 10 years.
- For organized examination fraud (involving syndicates or institutions), the minimum jail term has been raised from 5 years to 7 years.
- Steep Financial Penalties: The maximum fine for general offenses has been hiked five-fold, from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.
- For organized crime networks, the minimum fine has been increased from ₹1 crore to a massive ₹10 crore.
- Accountability of Service Providers (Private IT Vendors/Printers): If private agencies hired for conducting exams are found complicit, their maximum penalty jumps from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore.
- The debarment period, during which they cannot participate in public exams, has been doubled from 4 years to 8 years.
- Time-Bound Investigations: All investigations—whether conducted by local police, central agencies, or the newly proposed Special Task Forces (STFs) must be completed within two months (60 days).
- Special Fast-Track Courts: State and UT governments must designate Courts of Session as Special Fast-Track Courts to hear these cases exclusively on a day-to-day basis.
- All ongoing cases under the 2024 Act (including the recent NEET controversies) will automatically transfer to these new Fast-Track Courts.
- Trial Deadline: Trials must be concluded within three months of the chargesheet being filed.
- Appeals: Any appeals against judgments or bail orders must be filed within 30 days and heard by a two-judge High Court bench, which is expected to resolve the appeal within three months.
- High-powered Task Force
- The Government has constituted a high-powered task force chaired by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) (2009–14).
- Mandate: To recommend next-generation reforms for India’s public examination system by making examinations leak-proof, technology-driven, secure, transparent, and tamper-resistant through the adoption of advanced digital technologies and stronger institutional safeguards.
