The record
Written from the 2 reports below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which increases the maximum punishment for paper leaks to 10 years in prison and fines of up to ₹50 lakh.
- The bill comes weeks after the NEET-UG controversy led to the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and was introduced days after nationwide student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
- The CJP has criticised the bill, saying it focuses on punishing offenders after leaks occur rather than preventing leaks through reforms to the National Testing Agency, vendor monitoring, and greater transparency.
- The party has put forward a 5-point demand charter, including a new examinations law, replacing the NTA with a statutory commission, a students' rights charter, an aspirant welfare fund, and permanent parliamentary oversight.
What to watch next
- The bill's next steps in Parliament, including its passage in the Rajya Sabha
- Whether the government responds to the CJP's 5-point demand charter, including NTA reforms and an Examinations Ombudsman
- Progress of paper leak cases in fast-track courts, after a first hearing was postponed due to the absence of a CBI counsel
What changed2
Every report on this story, newest first. Times are when each outlet published.
Coverage2
2 reports
English national2
All filed from India
Named India · Abhijeet Dipke · Alakh Pandey · Ashutosh Ranka · CBSE · Central Bureau of Investigation · Cockroach Janata Party · Delhi · Dharmendra Pradhan · IIT · Jantar Mantar · Jitendra Singh
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