New Delhi [India], July 27 : The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening the legal framework against paper leaks and other malpractices in public examinations, will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday by Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh.
The Bill seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, amid heightened concerns over examination irregularities and paper leaks.
Following the introduction, the Minister is also scheduled to move that the Bill be taken into consideration and passed by the House.
The legislation is expected to witness an extensive debate in the Lok Sabha, with BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Tejasvi Surya among those slated to speak on the Bill.
Other MPs expected to participate in the discussion include Trinamool Congress MPs Sharmila Sarkar and Mitali Bagh, TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare, Apna Dal MP Anupriya Patel and LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Arun Bharti.
The Bill comes amid intensified political debate over the conduct of competitive examinations, particularly following irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.
Ahead of the Bill's introduction, Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav questioned whether stricter laws alone could prevent paper leaks, saying the root causes lay within the examination process and increasing digitisation.
"Paper leaks occur either where the paper is drafted, where it is printed, or at some other critical stage. Coaching centres with extensive reach often have inside arrangements--that is where the leaks originate. No matter how many laws you enact. All these irregularities began once the process went digital; such things didn't happen before the digital era. It cannot yield any benefit. Leaking or hacking is very easy," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh welcomed the proposed legislation and said it would help put a "permanent stop" to paper leaks.
"The PM had announced that we would introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha, and that legislation is forthcoming; the timing will be decided in due course. Paper leaks have become a major menace across the country--both at the state and central levels--jeopardising students' futures and enabling the amassing of crores of rupees," Ghosh said.
"Legislation is being drafted to put a permanent stop to this. The government is absolutely committed to this issue. Those responsible for leaking question papers and their accomplices will be punished, and measures will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur," he added.
The development comes as Parliament enters the second week of the Monsoon Session amid heightened political tensions over examination irregularities, following the 37-day-long CJP student agitation at Jantar Mantar that was withdrawn after the government assured protesters of action on their demands.
Congress MPs Randeep Singh Surjewala, Vijay Kumar alias Vijay Vasanth and Syed Naseer Hussain, along with CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar, have moved notices in Parliament seeking discussions on the alleged use of excessive force against students during a protest in Delhi on July 20 over NEET-UG examination irregularities.
The developments also follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a high-powered task force on examination reforms headed by technology expert Nandan Nilekani and the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid nationwide student protests over examination irregularities.