New Delhi: In a matter of good news for students who have been impacted by the paper leaks in the country, the Modi government has reportedly introduced significantly tougher legal provisions to punish the people involved in the cases.
In the recent big action, the government has prepared laws including a mandatory three-month timeline for investigation and trial, legal backing for special fast-track courts, and stricter penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.
A central highlight of the proposed framework is the establishment of special fast-track courts with statutory backing. Moving away from the notoriously slow judicial process typically associated with such cases, these designated courts will operate under a mandatory timeline.
As per a report by CNN News 18, the courts will be legally bound to wrap up the entire legal process, including the investigation phase and the final verdict, within a strict three-month timeframe to ensure swift justice.
What is Modi government planning on tackling paper leak?
These new provisions are designed to strengthen the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was initially passed by the government in June 2024 to curb unfair practices during recruitment and entrance tests. By tightening loopholes and accelerating trial procedures, the government aims to severely penalize organized exam syndicates and protect the integrity of competitive exams for students nationwide.
SC to closely monitor Centre’s road map for NEET reforms
The Supreme Court on Friday said it would “very closely monitor” the Centre’s road map for institutional reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and measures to prevent future paper leaks, while directing the Union government to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing its proposals, including the feasibility of shifting NEET to a computer-based testing (CBT) mode, cybersecurity safeguards and examination security protocols.
A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, hearing a batch of petitions seeking structural reforms in the conduct of the NEET-UG examination following the alleged 2026 paper leak controversy, posted the matter for further hearing on July 27 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought a few days’ time to present a “holistic view” of the reforms being undertaken.
Appearing for the Centre, SG Mehta submitted that there had been “some development” and requested that the matter be taken up after a few days so that the government could place a comprehensive picture before the top court.