The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-31072026-275035
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II — Section 1
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 25] NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026/SRAVANA 9, 1948 (Saka)
Separate paging is given to this Part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation.
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
(Legislative Department)
New Delhi, the 31st July, 2026/Sravana 9, 1948 (Saka)
The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the
31st July, 2026 and is hereby published for general information:—
THE PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS (PREVENTION OF UNFAIR MEANS)
AMENDMENT ACT, 2026
No. 10 of 2026
An Act to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-seventh Year of the Republic of
India as follows:—
1. This Act may be called the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair
Means) Amendment Act, 2026.
2. In the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024
(hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in section 10,––
(a) in sub-section (1), for the words “three years but which may extend
to five years and with fine up to ten lakh rupees. In”, the words “five years but
which may extend up to ten years and with fine up to fifty lakh rupees, and in”
(b) in sub-section (2),––
(i) for the words “one crore rupees”, the words “five crore rupees”
shall be substituted;
(ii) for the words “four years”, the words “eight years” shall be
substituted;
(c) in sub-section (3),––
(i) for the words “three years”, the words “five years” shall be
substituted;
(ii) for the words “one crore rupees. In”, the words “five crore
rupees, and in” shall be substituted.
3. In section 11 of the principal Act, in sub-section (1),––
(i) for the words “five years”, the words “seven years” shall be
substituted;
(ii) for the words “one crore rupees. In”, the words “ten crore rupees,
and in” shall be substituted.
4. In section 12 of the principal Act, in sub-section (2),––
(a) after the words “Central Investigating Agency”, the words “or a
Special Task Force, as that Government may, by notification, constitute in this
behalf” shall be inserted;
(b) the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:––
“Provided that where the Central Government constitutes a
Special Task Force under this sub-section, such investigation shall be
done only by the Special Task Force so constituted.”.
5. After section 12 of the principal Act, the following sections shall be
inserted, namely:––
“12A. (1) The investigation of an offence under this Act, shall be
completed––
(a) by an officer empowered to investigate under sub-section (1)
of section 12, within a period of two months from the date on which
the information was recorded by the officer in-charge of the police
station; or
(b) by a Central Investigating Agency, within a period of two
months from the date of a reference made to it by the Central
Government under sub-section (2) of the said section; or
(c) by a Special Task Force, within a period of two months from
the date of issuance of notification in this behalf by the Central
Government under sub-section (2) of the said section.
(2) For the purposes of providing a speedy trial on day-to-day basis,
every State Government and Union territory Administration shall, in
consultation with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court, by
notification, designate a Court of Session, to be a Special Fast Track Court to
try offences under this Act.
(3)A Special Fast Track Court designated under sub-section (2) shall,
while trying offences under this Act, also try other offences connected thereto
with which the accused may be charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya
Sanhita, 2023 or any other law for the time being in force, at the same trial. 45 of 2023.
(4) In every trial of an offence under this Act, the proceedings shall be
continued on day-to-day basis, until all the witnesses in attendance have been
examined, unless the Special Fast Track Court, for reasons to be recorded in writing,
finds that adjournment of the same beyond the following day is necessary:
Provided that such trial shall be completed within a period of three
months from the date of filing of the chargesheet.
(5) The cases or trials pertaining to offences under this Act or any other
law for the time being in force as specified in sub-section (3), which are
pending on the date of commencement of the Public Examinations
(Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026, shall stand transferred
to the Special Fast Track Court designated under sub-section (2).
(6) The trial of cases transferred under sub-section (5) shall be conducted by
the Special Fast Track Court designated under sub-section (2) from the stage it
is received upon such transfer and shall be completed within a period of three
months from the date of such receipt.
(7) Every State Government and Union territory Administration shall, by
notification, appoint one or more Special Public Prosecutors for every Special
Fast Track Court in accordance with sub-section (8) of section 18 of the
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, for conduct of cases under this Act.
(8) Every person appointed as a Special Public Prosecutor under this
section, shall be deemed to be a Public Prosecutor within the meaning of
clause (v) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha
Sanhita, 2023 and the provisions of that Sanhita shall apply accordingly.
12B. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Bharatiya Nagarik
Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, an appeal shall lie from any judgment, sentence or
order, not being an interlocutory order, of a Special Fast Track Court to the
High Court.
(2) Every appeal under sub-section (1) shall be heard by a bench of two
Judges of the High Court and shall, as far as possible, be disposed of within a
period of three months from the date of admission of the appeal.
(3) Except as aforesaid, no appeal or revision shall lie to any Court
from any judgment, sentence or order including an interlocutory order
of a Special Fast Track Court.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3) of section 419 of the
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, an appeal shall lie to the High Court
against an order of the Special Fast Track Court granting or refusing bail.
(5) Every appeal under this section shall be preferred within a period of
thirty days from the date of the judgment, sentence or order appealed from:
Provided that the High Court may entertain an appeal after the expiry
of the said period of thirty days if it is satisfied that the appellant had
sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within the period of thirty days:
Provided further that no appeal shall be entertained after the expiry of
the period of ninety days.”.
DR. RAJIV MANI,
Secretary to the Govt. of India
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