President clears anti-paper leak law
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the legislation aiming at raising the punishment for unfair means in public examinations, days after the bill was pushed through both the Houses of Parliament by voice vote earlier this week
President Droupadi Murmu has signed off on new legislation designed to crack down on unfair means in public examinations. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, received her approval through a gazette notification, effective immediately. Under the amended law, those caught leaking exam papers or engaging in other illicit practices during assessments face mandatory jail terms ranging from five to ten years, with fines capped at ₹50 lakh.
This represents a significant increase from the previous penalties, which included a minimum three-year sentence, extendable to five years, and fines up to ₹10 lakh. The law also imposes harsher sentences for organized crime, stipulating a minimum seven-year jail term and fines up to ₹10 crore. Illegal activities encompass 15 specific acts, such as leaking question papers, tampering with Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets, creating fake websites, and issuing fraudulent admit cards.
The bill's swift passage through Parliament came in the wake of nationwide student protests against a recent paper leak in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2026.
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