Centre's Anti-paper Leak Law Notified in 2024 '10 Years Jail, Rs.1 Cr Fine'

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a draft bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement. 

The Centre had brought out a new law in 2024 as well when it was faced with raging paper leak controversies. Nearly four months after President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, the Bill was notified in June 2024 when tempers were high due to alleged NEET and NET paper



leaks.

Before this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the central government and its agencies. 

The Act aims to prevent unfair means in the public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the railways, banking recruitment examinations and the National Testing Agency (NTA) among others.