Union Cabinet Approves Bill for Stricter Penalties on Exam Paper Leaks

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a bill proposing stricter punishments for those involved in examination paper leaks, government sources told ET Bureau.

The proposed legislation, aimed at strengthening the legal framework against exam-related fraud, is expected to be introduced in Parliament next week.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister at the Parliament House complex approved the draft bill to hand stricter punishments to those involved in paper leaks than the existing laws, the sources said.

Under the proposed amendments, the government plans to significantly tighten punishments for paper leak offences. The draft Bill provides for a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore for those found guilty of leaking examination papers. It also seeks to raise the minimum imprisonment from three years to five years, strengthening the existing provisions under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The move comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Cabinet would consider stronger legal measures to tackle paper leaks, saying the government was committed to protecting the future of students.

The proposed law is also expected to provide for faster prosecution of offenders through dedicated mechanisms, including fast-track courts.

The proposal comes amid a political storm over the alleged NEET paper leak and repeated disruptions in Parliament, with the Opposition demanding accountability and a discussion on examination irregularities.

The move also comes amid Cockroach Janta Party emergence as a youth-led movement after alleged paper leaks in major competitive examinations, particularly NEET, and later expanded its demands to include accountability for examination irregularities and resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The fresh legislation builds on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was notified in June 2024 in the wake of the alleged NEET-UG and UGC-NET paper leak controversies. While the existing law prescribes imprisonment of three to 10 years depending on the offence and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for organised examination fraud, the proposed amendments seek to make the law more stringent by increasing the minimum punishment for paper leak offences and raising the maximum fine to Rs 10 crore.

Before the 2024 law, there was no dedicated central legislation dealing specifically with unfair means and organised offences in public examinations.

The existing Act makes offences related to organised paper leaks cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. It prescribes imprisonment ranging from three to 10 years, depending on the offence, with organised crime attracting five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore. It also empowers authorities to frame norms for examination security, including biometric registration, candidate screening, question paper handling, invigilation and post-examination procedures.

The law identifies 15 offences, including leaking question papers, tampering with OMR sheets, creating fake websites, issuing fake admit cards and other forms of examination fraud. It also provides for penalties on service providers involved in unfair practices and recovery of examination costs.

Despite the enactment of the 2024 law, paper leaks have once again become the centre of a political storm after allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination triggered nationwide student protests.

The issue has gained further momentum with the emergence of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that has expanded its demands beyond paper leaks to seek accountability for examination irregularities and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Opposition parties have also demanded Pradhan's resignation and sought a discussion in Parliament on the issue, while Parliament has witnessed repeated disruptions over the controversy.