PM Modi Hails Tougher Anti-Paper Leak Law
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed Parliament’s passage of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, describing it as a major step towards protecting students and restoring confidence in India’s examination system.
Modi Warns Paper Leak Mafias
In a video message, Modi said paper leaks had affected governments across India for decades and placed the future of students at risk. He asserted that gangs involved in leaking question papers or manipulating examinations would not be spared.
The Prime Minister said the government had been working continuously to build a more reliable examination system through special task forces, fast-track courts, technology-based reforms and consultations with state governments.
Anti-Paper Leak Bill Raises Punishments
The amendment increases the punishment for individuals using unfair means from three-to-five years to five-to-10 years in prison. The maximum fine has been raised from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
Service providers involved in examination malpractice can face fines of up to ₹5 crore, while their debarment from conducting public examinations has been extended from four years to eight years.
Organised examination crime can attract imprisonment of seven-to-10 years and a minimum fine of ₹10 crore.
Fast-Track Courts to Handle Exam Fraud
The legislation empowers the Centre to establish a special task force to investigate examination offences. Investigations must be completed within two months.
Every state and Union Territory will be required to designate a Court of Session as a special fast-track court. Trials are expected to conclude within three months of the chargesheet being filed.
The law covers examinations conducted by agencies including the UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Boards, IBPS and National Testing Agency.
Modi said the legislation fulfilled the government’s commitment to introduce stronger legal protections for students, while adding that wider examination reforms and increased use of technology would continue.
