Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently claimed that Parliament has passed a law to make India's examination system more robust. However, the original Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act was enacted in 2024, before the NEET and other examination paper leaks came to light. The legislation passed recently is only an amendment to that existing law, not an entirely new Act. The amendments broaden the definition of "unfair means" to include digital technologies, increase prison terms and fines for individuals and organised syndicates, and provide for fast-track courts to handle such cases. While these measures appear stringent, their effectiveness remains uncertain.
Experience suggests that harsher punishments alone do not necessarily prevent crime if enforcement is weak. Stronger penalties must be backed by effective investigations, accountability, and institutional reforms to address the root causes of examination fraud. Without improving security, oversight, and transparency, merely increasing jail terms and fines may not deter organised paper leaks. The true test of these amendments will lie in their implementation. Unless systemic weaknesses are addressed, tougher laws alone are unlikely to restore public confidence in the integrity of India's examination system.
VINAY DWIVEDI, Benaulim
