Public Examinations Amendment Bill 2026: Harsher Penalties for Paper Leaks
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Union government moved the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha to strengthen the existing law against paper leaks. The bill proposes increased jail terms and fines for offenders and service providers.
Background
The original Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act was enacted in 2024 to curb malpractices in public examinations. The 2026 amendment seeks to make penalties more stringent in response to recurring paper leak incidents.
Key facts
Union Minister Jitendra Singh introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha.
The bill proposes harsher punishments, including increased jail time and fines for those involved in paper leaks.
The amendment targets both individual offenders and service providers involved in unfair means.
The bill aims to make the anti-paper leak law more stringent.
The original Act was passed in 2024 to prevent unfair means in public examinations.
Prelims pointers
- Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Introduced in Rajya Sabha by Union Minister Jitendra Singh
- Amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024
- Proposes increased jail terms and fines for paper leaks
- Covers both offenders and service providers
Mains angles
- GS2: Government policies and interventions for transparency in public examinations
- GS2: Issues relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to education
- GS3: Role of technology and law in preventing corruption and malpractices