New Delhi: The Lok Sabha passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Wednesday following an extended legislative debate that commenced on Tuesday afternoon and stretched late into the night. The passage came after a reply from Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who addressed the House regarding the enhanced penal provisions designed to curb examination fraud and paper leaks while taking sharp aim at opposition remarks made during the proceedings.
The newly passed legislation significantly toughens the legal framework surrounding competitive examinations by increasing the prison sentence for individuals resorting to unfair practices to a minimum of five years, extendable up to ten years, alongside raising maximum fines to 50 lakh rupees. Service providers and private agencies implicated in malpractices face financial penalties of up to 5 crore rupees and debarment from conducting public tests for up to eight years. For organised examination crimes, the minimum imprisonment has been raised to seven years, with fines reaching up to 10 crore rupees. Furthermore, the amendment mandates the establishment of a Special Task Force and designated Special Fast Track Courts to ensure that investigations are concluded within two months and trials finished within three months.
During his address, Union Minister Jitendra Singh criticized Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his choice of words and parliamentary conduct, questioning whether the opposition leader was adhering to established norms after using controversial terms while speaking on student issues. Responding to assertions regarding police action against demonstrators in the capital, Singh clarified that no live rounds were fired and noted that law enforcement directives remain under the jurisdiction of local magistrates rather than cabinet ministers. He also characterized recent political protests outside the Prime Minister’s residence as political maneuvering born of political frustration.
The debate featured vocal criticism from Rahul Gandhi, who accused the central government of allowing political institutions to exercise control over the national education framework and privatising key public sector avenues. Addressing demands for administrative accountability, Gandhi alleged that institutional decisions were being directed externally rather than through ministry leadership. Despite the sharp political resistance, the treasury benches successfully steered the bill through its final vote, establishing stricter statutory measures for national examination governance.
