GOI — Indian parliament passes stricter law to combat exam paper leaks

India's Lok Sabha has passed a bill to amend the 2024 Public Examinations Act, introducing harsher penalties to curb exam malpractices. The amendment, prompted by recent student protests over a medical entrance exam leak, increases imprisonment for individuals to 5-10 years and raises the maximum fine to ₹50 lakh. For service providers involved in organized exam fraud, the minimum fine is hiked to ₹10 crore, and debarment is doubled to eight years. The bill also mandates the creation of special fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials.