Government Tightens Grip on Exam Frauds with Proposed Fast-Track Prosecution Bill

Legislative Overhaul for Examination Integrity

The Union Government circulated a draft of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 to Parliament members on July 25, 2026. This proposed legislation significantly modifies the 2024 Act, introducing harsher penalties and rigid procedural timelines to combat organized academic fraud. The Centre expects to formally introduce the bill in Parliament on Monday, July 27, 2026.

Strict Judicial Timelines and Specialized Enforcement

To end prolonged legal delays, the government has proposed an uninterrupted procedural pipeline through new Sections 12A and 12B. Under these provisions, specialized Special Fast Track Courts will handle trials on a continuous, day-to-day basis. Key procedural mandates include:

• Investigation Window: All local police, central agencies, or new Special Task Forces (STF) must conclude investigations within 60 days.
• Trial Duration: Courts are required to wrap up trials within three months of a chargesheet being filed.
• Adjournings: Judges cannot postpone proceedings beyond the following day unless they provide explicit, exceptional written justifications.
• Appeals: High Court Division Benches of two judges must resolve appeals within three months.

State and Union Territory administrations will be required to designate Sessions Courts for these cases and appoint Special Public Prosecutors under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

Escalated Penalties for Academic Malpractice

The 2026 Amendment Bill dramatically increases the financial and custodial consequences for various offenses:

• General Offenses: Jail time rises from a 3–5 year range to 5–10 years, with fines increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
• Organized Crime: Minimum sentences move to 7 years, with fiscal penalties jumping to ₹10 crore from the previous ₹1 crore ceiling.
• Service Providers: Institutional fines for entities facilitating exams increase from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore. Management-level personnel face up to 10 years in prison.
• Management in Charge: Penalties for individuals in supervisory roles rise to 5–10 years of imprisonment alongside ₹5 crore fines.

Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the primary objective of these amendments is to restore public confidence in the examination system by ensuring time-bound investigations and enhanced deterrence against criminal networks. If passed, all active cases under the 2024 Act will transfer immediately to these new fast-track courts for completion within 90 days of the transfer.

Source: The Hindu — Home