Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday, 28 July told the Lok Sabha that the Centre was making an 'honest effort' to fortify the examination system, unveiling a sweeping set of amendments that include dedicated fast-track courts mandated to conclude cases within five months of an offence being reported. Singh was opening the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Key Provisions of the Amendment Bill

The amendment substantially toughens the original Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which had already made examination offences non-bailable, non-compoundable, and cognisable. Under the proposed changes, the maximum financial penalty for service providers — any agency, organisation, company, or firm engaged in conducting public examinations — has been raised from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore. The debarment period for such entities has also been doubled from four years to eight years.

For directors and senior management of guilty organisations, the minimum imprisonment term has been raised from three years to five years, while the maximum sentence of ten years is retained. The maximum fine for this category has similarly been increased from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore.

Crackdown on Organised Examination Crime

Addressing the growing menace of examination mafias, Singh said the amendment specifically targets organised criminal networks operating across states. For organised crime involving examination authorities or service providers, the minimum imprisonment has been raised from five years to seven years, with the ceiling remaining at ten years. The maximum fine in such cases has been hiked sharply from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore.

Notably, Singh refrained from singling out any particular state or political party, acknowledging the problem as widespread. 'It is happening in Punjab; it is happening in Karnataka, whether we name those states or not,' he said, adding that the issue cuts across party lines and affects nearly every state and Union Territory.

Fast-Track Courts and Fixed Timelines

One of the most significant additions is Section 12A, which provides for special fast-track courts dedicated exclusively to examination-related offences. Under the proposed framework, investigations — whether by a central agency, special task force, or police — must be completed within two months. The fast-track trial court then has three months to deliver a verdict, bringing the total window from incident to final decision to five months.

Appeals will be heard by a division bench of a High Court and must be filed within 30 days, subject to justifiable grounds. Singh confirmed that fast-track courts have already been established in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand, with more locations to follow.

Nilekani Task Force and Radhakrishnan Committee

Singh also disclosed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had constituted a high-level task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend comprehensive reforms aimed at making the country's examination system 'leak-proof.' Separately, the K. Radhakrishnan committee, constituted on 22 June 2024, had made 46 key recommendations, of which 35 — or 76 per cent — have already been implemented, according to the minister.

What Comes Next

The Bill is currently before the Lok Sabha for debate. If passed, it will amend the 2024 Act and trigger the formal rollout of fast-track courts across remaining states. The government's stated objective is to restore public confidence in competitive examinations — a credibility crisis that escalated sharply following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy of 2024. How swiftly the new courts are operationalised, and whether the five-month timeline holds in practice, will be the real test of legislative intent.