Parliament passes Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026

Parliament has passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 with the Rajya Sabha approving it on Thursday. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. When the House reassembled post-lunch, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh moved the bill. Chairman C P Radhakrishnan said that seven hours have been allocated for the discussion on the bill. 
The legislation incorporates several significant provisions, including stringent penalties such as imprisonment for up to ten years, fines of up to ten crore rupees, and the seizure of the properties of convicted offenders. To ensure the expeditious disposal of cases, the legislation mandates that every State Government and Union Territory Administration establish Special Fast Track Courts for the day-to-day trial. It further provides that investigations into offences must be completed within two months from the date the information is recorded at the police station. The trials must be concluded within three months from the filing of the chargesheet.  
Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Dr Jitendra Singh said this issue touches every citizen of India and has stake with every citizen of this country. Dr Singh also listed the government’s efforts to prevent paper leaks and to reform the education system in the country. He said youth are a huge investment for a Viksit Bharat. The Minister said the number of AIIMS hospitals has increased from 7 to 22, and medical seats have also increased. He said this is democratisation through accessibility and affordability of medical education. He said National Education Policy 2020 has been the biggest game changer over the last decade. He added that it has liberated adolescent children from the slavery of the subjects chosen by their parents or guardians in Class 12.  Meanwhile, the Opposition staged a walkout as the Minister was replying to the discussion.
Initiating the discussion, Leader of the Opposition Malikarjun Kharge said the government has made only cosmetic changes in the new bill and the proposed amendments will not be effective to curb malpractices in the public examinations. He said, though the Congress supports the proposed bill but it lacks very stringent provisions to ensure transparent and paper-leak-free examinations.’ Mr Kharge said that the government took this step only after students raised concerns about the paper leak, irregularities in examinations, and institutional failures.