GUWAHATI: The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Thursday, July 30, passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by voice vote amid continued disruptions over the NEET paper leak and police action against protesting students on July 20.
The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha after a seven-hour debate. The Rajya Sabha had also cleared the legislation after taking it up for discussion as part of the supplementary agenda.
The Opposition INDIA bloc staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha before Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh replied to the debate.
Initiating the discussion, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the proposed amendments were largely “cosmetic” and would not be sufficient to prevent malpractice in public examinations. While stating that the Congress supported the Bill, Kharge called for stronger provisions to ensure transparent, paper-leak-free examinations.
He said the government was forced to act after students raised concerns over the NEET paper leak, examination irregularities and institutional failures.
Responding to the debate, Jitendra Singh said examination integrity was an issue that concerned every citizen and highlighted the government's measures to prevent paper leaks and reform the education system. He also cited the expansion of AIIMS and medical seats and said the National Education Policy 2020 had brought major changes to the education sector.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which came into force in June 2024, was enacted to curb unfair practices, including question-paper leaks, in examinations conducted by agencies such as the UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Board, IBPS and the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The amended legislation provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years, fines of up to ₹10 crore and seizure of properties of convicted offenders.
It also mandates Special Fast Track Courts in every state and Union Territory for day-to-day trials of offences under the law. Investigations must be completed within two months of the offence being recorded at a police station, while trials are required to conclude within three months of the filing of the chargesheet.
The passage of the Bill comes amid the ongoing political and student backlash over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which has disrupted proceedings in Parliament for several days.