President Droupadi Murmu on Friday gave her assent to the 2026 Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Act, a day after Parliament passed the legislation.

The amendments were introduced on Monday following nationwide youth protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The Act raises the punishment for using unfair means in public examinations from the current three to five years’ imprisonment to five to 10 years. It also increases the maximum fine from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

One of the key provisions of the Act empowers the Union government to set up a Special Task Force to investigate paper leak offences. The probe by police, central investigating agencies or the task force would have to be completed within two months, it says.

The Act also requires state governments and Union Territory administrations to set up special fast track courts. Pending cases under the Act would also be transferred to these fast track courts and disposed of within three months of transfer.

If instances of paper leaks or other offences listed under the Act are found to be organised, the legislation proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.

The Act lists 15 offences, including leaking question papers, tampering with optical mark recognition sheets, creating fake websites and...

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