President gives assent to Public Examinations Amendment Bill, up to 10 years' jail and Rs10 crore fine for exam fraud

Panchkula/New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- The President of India has given assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, following its passage by Parliament.

The amended law increases prison terms and fines for exam-related offences, introduces time-bound investigations and trials, authorises the Centre to establish a Special Task Force, and mandates Special Fast Track Courts for expedited case resolution.

The Amendment Act, published in the Gazette of India, modifies the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Under the amended Section 10(1), imprisonment for offences increases from three to five years to five to ten years, and the maximum fine rises from Rs10 lakh to Rs50 lakh.

For offenc...