Minister in the PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh to introduce _The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 27,
Sunil Negi
After 37 days of continuous protest at Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janata Party, the government is set to move a stringent law in Parliament to check paper leaks and malpractices in public examinations. Union Minister of State in the PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, will introduce _The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026_ in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 27, according to the listed legislative business agenda. The bill seeks to amend _The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024_ and proposes tougher penal provisions, faster investigation mechanisms, and greater accountability for examination conducting bodies.
The move follows a late-night video message and a tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, in which he said the government is bringing “one of the strictest laws in the world” to stop paper leaks in NEET, JEE, UGC-NET and other competitive exams. The Prime Minister said the safety of students and the sanctity of exams is non-negotiable and that those who play with the future of youth will face the harshest punishment. The Cabinet Committee on Legislation cleared the draft on Saturday night, paving the way for its introduction in the Lok Sabha and subsequent passage in the Rajya Sabha.
The Jantar Mantar agitation, organised by the Cockroach Janata Party at the behest of Union Ministers Dr. Jitendra Singh and former BJP President, health minister J.P. Nadda on the directions of the Prime Minister, concluded on Saturday after the government gave an assurance in writing that a bill with deterrent provisions would be tabled in the first week of the session.
Protesters, including students, teachers and parents, had been demanding disbanding of the National Testing Agency, compensation for affected candidates, and criminal liability for officials found negligent. CJP leaders who addressed the protesters daily said the agitation reflected the voice of the nation’s youth and that the government had heard them.
The proposed Amendment Bill, 2026, is learnt to include provisions for minimum 10 years imprisonment extendable to life term, and fines up to Rs 10 crore for organized gangs involved in paper leaks.
It also proposes setting up a National Task Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate with states, a digital audit trail for question papers, and mandatory FIRs within 24 hours of any reported breach.
Sources said the bill will also empower the Centre to take over investigation from state agencies in cases with inter-state links and to blacklist institutions or coaching centers found complicit.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, who has been the government’s face during the 37-day agitation, will pilot the bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Party sources said BJP President J.P. Nadda has asked all MPs to be present during the introduction, terming it a “defining moment for student welfare.” The government is hoping for support from regional parties as well, given the widespread outrage over repeated exam paper leaks in the last two years.
Opposition parties, while welcoming a strong law, have said they will seek clarifications on the role of the NTA, on compensation for students whose exams were cancelled, and on safeguards against misuse of the new penal provisions against students.
The CPI(M) and Congress have also demanded that the bill be sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for wider consultation.
With the monsoon session underway and student issues dominating political discourse, the tabling of this bill on Monday is expected to set the tone for the government’s legislative agenda.
For the protesters at Jantar Mantar, it marks the end of a 37-day sit-in, but for the new Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, who took charge this week, it will be the first major test of steering the bill through both Houses and restoring trust in India’s examination system.
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