Public Examinations Amendment Bill 2026 Introduced in Lok Sabha

Public Examinations Amendment Bill 2026 Introduced in Lok Sabha

#GS-2 #Governance & Social Justice #Good Governance #Indian Polity & Constitution #Parliament #Public Examinations Bill 2026 #Education Reform

Why in News

  • The Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions introduced **The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026** in the Lok Sabha.

Overview of the Amendment Bill

  • This central legislation amends the existing **Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024** to reform competitive examination security.
  • The Bill aims to prevent paper leaks and malpractices committed by candidates, organized paper-leak syndicates, test agencies, and coaching institutes.

Key Amendments and Changes Introduced

  • The Central Government can create a specialized **Special Task Force (STF)** to investigate paper leak cases within **2 months**.
  • State governments and Union Territory administrations must set up **Special Fast Track Courts** at the Session Court level to conduct daily trials.
  • The Bill mandates that trials must be completed within **3 months** from the filing of the chargesheet.
  • High Courts must decide appeals within **3 months** of admission, while appeals must be filed within **30 days** or a maximum of **90 days**.
  • The debarment duration for convicted examination service providers has been increased from **4 years to 8 years**.

Comparison Between 2024 Act and 2026 Bill

  • Punishment for individuals using unfair means has been increased from **3 to 5 years** to **5 to 10 years** in prison, and fines from **₹10 lakh** up to **₹50 lakh**.
  • Fines for service providers engaged in malpractice have risen from **₹1 crore** to **₹5 crore**, along with full recovery of examination costs.
  • Guilty exam management officials now face a minimum of **5 years** imprisonment and a fine of **₹5 crore**.
  • Organized examination crime syndicates face a minimum prison sentence of **7 years** and a minimum fine of **₹10 crore**.
  • The debarment period for guilty test-conducting agencies is extended from **4 years** to **8 years**.
  • The Bill introduces a dedicated **Special Task Force (STF)** with a mandatory **2-month** investigation deadline instead of relying on general agencies.
  • The law establishes mandatory **Special Fast Track Courts** with a strict **3-month** trial deadline to avoid delayed judicial proceedings.