Hyderabad: The Union Government is preparing to strengthen India’s anti paper leak law by proposing stricter punishments, including longer jail terms, higher fines and the creation of fast track courts, amid nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak controversy.
According to sources, the Union Cabinet is expected to consider amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 during its meeting on Friday. The proposed changes are aimed at making the law more stringent to curb examination malpractices.
Centre plans stricter anti paper leak law
Sources said the amendments are likely to include provisions for establishing fast track courts to ensure speedy trials in paper leak cases. The proposed law may also increase both imprisonment terms and financial penalties for those involved in leaking examination papers or facilitating unfair practices.
Under the existing law, individuals convicted in paper leak cases face three to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh. Service providers who fail to report such offences can be fined up to ₹1 crore, while organised paper leak rackets attract five to ten years of imprisonment along with a minimum fine of ₹1 crore.
If approved by the Cabinet, the Amendment Bill is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday during the second week of the Monsoon Session.
The move comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government would establish fast track courts to ensure swift punishment for those responsible for paper leaks. In a video message, he described paper leaks as a serious issue affecting lakhs of students and their families and said the government had already taken several steps to tackle the problem.
The Prime Minister said authorities had acted quickly to conduct fresh examinations for nearly 22 lakh students while ensuring that their academic year was not lost. He added that the proposed amendments had been cleared by officials and would be placed before the Cabinet before being introduced in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi renewed his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that there had been around 150 paper leak incidents in the past decade without a single conviction.
The proposed amendments come amid continuing protests by students and opposition parties demanding greater transparency in the examination system and stronger action against those involved in paper leak cases.
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