Centre set to tighten anti-paper leak law, Cabinet likely to clear tougher penalties

The Union government is set to introduce stricter amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, with the Union Cabinet expected to approve a draft Bill aimed at cracking down on paper leaks and examination fraud.

According to people familiar with the matter, the proposed amendments are likely to include longer prison terms and steeper financial penalties for those found guilty of organised paper leaks and other unfair practices in public examinations.

Cabinet to discuss draft Bill

The Union Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to consider the proposed legislation, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to in a video message on Thursday night.

Modi said the government was treating the issue with utmost seriousness and expressed hope that the Bill would be passed during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

“I have been given the draft of a Bill, which will be discussed in the Cabinet tomorrow,” the Prime Minister said, adding that fast-track courts had already been directed to expedite cases related to examination irregularities.

‘A painful moment for students’

Calling paper leaks “a painful moment for millions of students and their parents,” Modi said the government had taken several steps over the past two-and-a-half months and that those responsible for recent examination scams were already behind bars.

The proposed amendments come amid nationwide outrage over repeated paper leak incidents, particularly the NEET controversy, which has triggered protests by students and opposition parties.

On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters marched towards Parliament in Delhi, demanding accountability for examination irregularities and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.