Manipur Backs New Federal Law to Punish Exam Paper Leaks

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh threw his support behind the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. He calls the legislation a major move toward fair and transparent testing nationwide. Singh credited the reform to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting it protects the goals of millions of students.

Parliament cleared the bill this week. The Lok Sabha passed it on Wednesday, and the Rajya Sabha followed suit on Thursday via voice vote. Opposition parties from the INDIA bloc walked out during the final vote. Singh shared his thoughts on social media late Thursday, July 30, claiming the move restores the integrity of the national education system.

The law gets tough. People caught leaking papers or using unfair tactics face five to ten years in prison. Fines can reach Rs 50 lakh. Those running organized exam fraud face stiffer consequences. Convicts will get a minimum of seven years behind bars and a fine of at least Rs 10 crore. Singh stated, "Landmark step towards a fair examination system."

The government is speeding up justice. States and Union Territories can now set up special fast-track courts for these cases. These courts must run day-to-day hearings. They have three months to finish trials once a charge sheet hits the desk. The central government also gets power to form a special task force to hunt down fraud.

The original act arrived in 2024 after repeated paper leaks rocked the country. Before that law, India had no dedicated rules for central exam misconduct. Now, the new amendment closes those gaps.