NEW DELHI: The central government will introduce an amendment to the law meant to prevent paper leaks and cheating in public examinations to provide for fast-track courts for paper leak cases.In the expected amendment, the government is also likely to increase the jail term for offenders from the current 10-year maximum, sources told TOI. The proposed bill will be taken up by the Cabinet this afternoon.The jail terms in the existing Act will be increased across three sections and fast track courts will be made mandatory for trial in the Bill in all such cases.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was enacted to curb paper leaks, cheating and organised malpractices in public examinations such as UPSC, SSC and NTA tests, provides for penalties, including up to 10 years' imprisonment and a Rs 1 crore fine.The proposed Bill is in line with PM Modi's late Thursday announcement that the Union Cabinet will on Friday discuss a Bill to further strengthen the anti-cheating law and ensure stricter punishment for offenders.Hours after ordering the establishment of fast-track courts, in a recorded message posted on social media at midnight, PM said that based on the discussion a bill will be moved on Monday, when the second week of the current Parliament session begins, and government will seek its passage at the earliest.

“Fast-track courts and strict punishment will be discussed in the Cabinet tomorrow and it will be given final shape after the discussion,” Modi said, while underlining that government has been working on addressing the concerns related to medical entrance exams paper leak over the last two and a half months. He said that government had so far focused on ensuring that students did not lose a year and decided to conduct exams for 22 lakh students, using “all its might”, with results also declared.Modi’s message through the unusual mode came minutes after government replaced the education secretary amid the ongoing protests against the NEET paper leak.

Over the last two days, officials said, PMO has been engaged with the education ministry over the NEET exam, retest and K Radhakrishnan committee on NTA reforms, with over two dozen queries flowing from Seva Teerth.