Anti-Paper Leak Act: Stricter Penalties, Wider Reform Package Planned

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, has once again come into focus as the Centre considers making the legislation more stringent amid the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Introduced by the Narendra Modi government ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the law aims to curb organised examination malpractice and strengthen the transparency, fairness and credibility of public examinations conducted by central agencies. The government is now preparing amendments to further tighten its provisions.

The legislation applies to public examinations conducted by authorities such as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), National Testing Agency (NTA), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and other notified recruitment bodies. It was passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session in February 2024, receiving broad political support for introducing stronger safeguards against organised examination fraud.

Introducing the Bill in the Lok Sabha on February 6, 2024, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the legislation was intended to target officials, organisations and criminal networks involved in examination malpractices, including question paper leaks, tampering with answer sheets, unauthorised access to examination materials and organised cheating. He clarified that students and genuine candidates appearing for examinations would not fall within the scope of the law, as its primary objective was to dismantle organised fraud rather than penalise examinees.

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The Act provides for stringent penalties against those involved in organised examination malpractice, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines exceeding ₹1 crore in serious cases. It also empowers investigating agencies to take action against individuals and institutions found responsible for compromising the integrity of public examinations. The government has argued that such measures are necessary to deter increasingly sophisticated paper leak networks and restore confidence in the examination system.

During parliamentary discussions, members from across the political spectrum supported the need for stronger legal safeguards to protect the credibility of competitive examinations. Lawmakers highlighted recurring incidents of paper leaks, their impact on students' careers and the importance of ensuring that recruitment and entrance examinations remain fair and transparent for millions of candidates across the country.

With nationwide protests continuing over the alleged NEET paper leak, the Centre has indicated that it intends to further strengthen the existing legislation as part of a broader package of examination reforms. The proposed amendments are expected to introduce stricter punishments and enforcement mechanisms while maintaining the Act's focus on organised examination fraud, rather than students appearing for competitive examinations.

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