New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Friday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, as approved earlier by the Lok Sabha, by a voice vote. The legislation seeks to further strengthen the legal framework to prevent unfair practices in public examinations and safeguard the interests of students and job aspirants.
Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said the amendments would reinforce transparency, credibility and merit in public examinations while protecting the aspirations of millions of students.
The Minister clarified that the legislation is not limited to question paper leaks but addresses the entire spectrum of unfair means in public examinations.
“The Government is committed to ensuring that public examinations remain transparent, credible and merit-based so that the sincere efforts of students are protected,” Dr. Singh said.
He explained that the law comprehensively covers offences including question paper and answer key leaks, tampering with answer sheets and computer systems, manipulation of examination processes, creation of fake websites and admit cards, and organised attempts to facilitate malpractice in examinations.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Government had introduced the Amendment Bill with an open mind and welcomed constructive suggestions from Members of Parliament to make the legislation more effective.
He noted that examination malpractice affects every family and every citizen because it directly impacts the future of students and the country’s human resource.
Highlights Education Reforms
Highlighting the Government’s education reforms, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has transformed the education sector by introducing greater academic flexibility and expanding opportunities for students.
He informed the House that the number of universities in the country has increased from 760 to 1,293, while the number of higher education institutions has risen from 51,534 to 64,896.
Referring to medical education, the Minister said the number of AIIMS has increased from 7 to 22, medical colleges from 387 to 844, MBBS seats from 51,300 to 1.39 lakh, and postgraduate medical seats from 31,000 to 86,300, making quality medical education more accessible and affordable.
Expansion of Educational Opportunities
The Minister said the Government has significantly expanded educational opportunities through initiatives such as 400 functional Eklavya Model Residential Schools across the country.
On employment generation, he stated that Government appointments increased from 7.22 lakh during 2004–2014 to 10.96 lakh during 2014–2024. He added that backlog vacancies have been cleared and special promotion drives have been undertaken to improve career progression in government services.
Startup India and Innovation Growth
Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the success of the Startup India initiative, stating that the number of recognised startups has grown from around 350–400 at the time of launch to nearly 2.4 lakh, making India the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world.
He also pointed to significant progress in research and innovation, saying India now ranks among the leading countries in PhD output and patent filings.
Examination Reforms
The Minister informed the House that the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 applies to examinations conducted by major recruitment agencies, including:
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
- Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs)
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
- National Testing Agency (NTA)
He highlighted several reforms already introduced in recruitment examinations, including the abolition of interviews for specified government posts, online application systems, candidate-friendly examination processes, provisional answer keys to improve transparency, and enhanced cybersecurity measures.
According to the Minister, the average recruitment cycle of the Staff Selection Commission has been reduced from 9 months and 8 days to 8 months and 24 days.
He also referred to the Pratibha Setu initiative, which connects meritorious civil services candidates with employers, stating that 335 private companies have already registered on the platform.
High-Level Committee Recommendations
Dr. Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that implementation of the recommendations made by the high-level expert committee on strengthening the public examination ecosystem is progressing steadily.
He said 35 out of the committee’s 46 recommendations have already been implemented. These include:
- Aadhaar-based biometric authentication
- AI-enabled face authentication
- Multi-layer frisking
- CCTV surveillance
- Signal jammers
- State and district-level coordination committees
- Grievance redressal mechanisms
- Restructuring of the National Testing Agency (NTA)
Concluding the discussion, the Minister said maintaining the integrity of public examinations requires the collective participation of the Government, educational institutions, parents, students and society.
He reiterated that the Government remains open to constructive suggestions from all stakeholders and is committed to ensuring that India’s public examination system remains fair, transparent, credible and free from unfair means, while protecting the aspirations of millions of students and job seekers.