Centre introduces Public Examinations Amendment Bill 2026 to curb leaks
The government just introduced a new bill to crack down on exam leaks and cheating in major tests like UPSC and SSC.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026 aims to make punishments much stricter and speed up how quickly these cases are handled.
It updates the law that's been around since June 2024.
Stricter jail, 50L and 10Cr fines
If you're caught leaking papers or cheating, you could face five to 10 years in jail and fines up to ₹50 lakh.
For organized groups behind big leaks, it gets even tougher: seven to 10 years in jail and at least ₹10 crore in fines.
Private companies that mess up can be fined up to ₹5 crore and banned from exam work for eight years.
Plus, investigations must wrap up within two months, with special courts finishing trials within three months, so cases won't drag on forever anymore.