In a decisive effort to restore credibility to national competitive tests, the Central Government has drafted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. Copies of the proposed legislation were distributed to Members of Parliament on Saturday, July 25, setting the stage for its formal introduction in Parliament on Monday, July 27.

The landmark bill substantially overhaul the existing 2024 framework by imposing steep financial penalties—reaching up to ₹10 crore for criminal syndicates—and enforcing strict statutory deadlines to ensure swift prosecution of offenders.

Stricter Penalties Across All Levels of Offense

The 2026 amendment significantly raises the stakes for individuals, service providers, and organized crime networks involved in compromise or breach of public testing systems.

• General Offenses (Section 10(1)): Prison sentences have been raised from the previous 3 to 5 years to a mandatory range of 5 to 10 years. Fines have simultaneously jumped from ₹10 lakh up to ₹50 lakh.

• Service Provider Liability (Section 10(2)): Corporate fines levied on technology or testing agencies facilitating malpractices have been increased from ₹1 crore to a maximum of ₹5 crore. Senior management and directors face 3 to 10 years in prison along with enhanced monetary penalties up to ₹5 crore.

• In-Charge Personnel (Section 10(3)): Officials directly managing exam centers who commit breaches now face 5 to 10 years in prison (up from 3 to 10 years) and maximum fines of ₹5 crore.

• Organized Crime Syndicates (Section 11(1)): For paper leak rings and coordinated syndicates, the minimum imprisonment term moves from 5 years to 7 years, while maximum financial penalties jump tenfold—from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore.

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Mandatory 60-Day Investigation Window

To prevent procedural delays that often derail paper leak inquiries, the amendment empowers the federal government to establish Specialized Enforcement Units and dedicated Special Task Forces (STF).

Under the new law, all investigative bodies—including local police, central agencies, or specialized task forces—must conclude their inquiries within a strict 60-day deadline.

Fast-Track Trials and Uninterrupted Court Pipelines

To resolve judicial backlogs, state governments and Union Territory administrations will designate Sessions Courts as Special Fast Track Courts. These tribunals will conduct day-to-day continuous hearings, with a mandate to deliver verdicts within three months of a chargesheet being filed.

Newly inserted Sections 12A and 12B bar courts from granting postponements beyond the following working day, unless extraordinary reasons are explicitly documented in writing.

Key judicial provisions include:

• Transfer of Pending Cases: All ongoing prosecutions under the 2024 Act will immediately transition to the newly formed fast-track courts, which must wrap up trials within three months of transfer.

• Dedicated Prosecutors: States must appoint Special Public Prosecutors under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 to exclusively handle these proceedings.

• Strict Appeal Windows: Appeals concerning bail, verdicts, or sentencing must be submitted within 30 days—with an absolute grace cap of 90 days—and will be heard exclusively by a two-judge High Court Division Bench. Appellate decisions must also be finalized within three months.

Institutional Reforms to Rebuild Candidate Trust

Reflecting on the bill’s objectives, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that the government aims to rebuild public confidence following recent exam disruptions.

“The objective of the Act is to bring greater transparency, fairness, and credibility, and to inspire confidence in the public examination system,” Dr. Singh stated. “The amendments ensure time-bound investigations, speedy trials, and enhanced deterrence against organized crime groups and institutions.”

By targeting structural loopholes, eliminating legal stalls, and imposing heavy financial deterrence, the bill seeks to safeguard meritocracy for millions of young job seekers and students across the nation.

FAQ

What is the Public Examinations Amendment Bill 2026?

It is a proposed Union Government bill designed to strengthen the 2024 anti-cheating law by introducing harsher prison terms, fines up to ₹10 crore, and strict 60-day investigation deadlines for paper leaks and exam frauds.

What are the maximum penalties for organized exam leak syndicates under the 2026 Bill?

Organized crime networks involved in leaking question papers face a minimum of 7 years in prison and financial penalties up to ₹10 crore.

How does the new bill prevent court delays in paper leak cases?

The bill mandates daily hearings in designated Special Fast Track Courts, restricts adjournments to a single day, sets a 3-month deadline for trials post-chargesheet, and requires 60-day completion for all investigations.

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This scheme with an estimated cost of Rs 1500 crore will benefit small traders. According to the instructions, small merchants can get 0.15% incentive on UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions up to Rs 2000. In contrast, large merchants will not get any incentive for such transactions. Under this scheme, small merchants will be given an incentive amount of 0.15% per transaction on transactions up to Rs 2000.

The official statement issued by the government states that the objective of this initiative is to facilitate convenient, safe and fast cash flow. Also, better access to loans is to be provided through digital transactions. This will provide the benefit of payment facilities to the common citizens without any additional charges.

The implementation of this incentive scheme will help small merchants to access UPI services without any additional cost. Since small merchants are price sensitive, these incentives will encourage them to accept UPI payments.

Every quarter, 80% of the accepted claim amount from the acquiring banks will be disbursed without any conditions. However, the remaining 20% ​​of the accepted claim amount for every quarter will be disbursed subject to several conditions. 

10% of the sanctioned claim will be disbursed only if the technical degradation of the acquiring bank is less than 0.75% and the remaining 10% of the sanctioned claim will be disbursed only if the system uptime of the acquiring bank is more than 99.5%. 

Objective of this scheme

• Promoting indigenous BHIM-UPI platform. 
• The aim of this initiative is to achieve a cumulative UPI transaction value of Rs 20,000 crore by FY 2024-25. 
• Since 2020, the government is promoting digital transactions by eliminating Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on RuPay debit card and BHIM-UPI transactions. 
• In the last three years, the government has provided incentives worth over Rs 7,000 crore to banks and payment service providers to promote digital transactions. 
• To support payment system participants in developing a robust and secure digital payment infrastructure. 
• Expanding the reach of UPI from Tier 3 to Tier 6 cities, focusing on rural and remote areas, by introducing innovative products like feature phone based (UPI 123PAY) and offline (UPI Lite/UPI LiteX) payment solutions. 

Benefits of this scheme

1. Offers convenience, security, quick cash flow and improved credit access through digital footprint. 
2. Provides seamless payment options to the general public without any additional charges. 
3. Allows small businesses to use UPI services without incurring additional costs. Incentives can motivate them to adopt UPI payments. 
4. To support the government’s objective of promoting a cashless economy by documenting transactions digitally. 
5. Banks must maintain high system uptime and low technical degradation to be eligible for the 20% incentive, thereby guaranteeing the uninterrupted availability of payment services to the public. 

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The new 8th Pay Commission may come into effect from January 1, 2026. However, there is also speculation that it may be delayed and may take longer than expected. Let us tell you that the government has not yet given any details on the percentage of salary increase under the newly constituted Pay Commission.

Demand for 2.57 fitment factor

However, according to a Business Today report, people are expecting that the minimum basic salary in the 8th Pay Commission will increase from the current ₹18,000 to ₹51,480. According to other reports, the National Council-Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM-NC) had sought a fitment factor of at least 2.57 (which is the same as the 7th Pay Commission) or more. Let us tell you that the fitment factor is a calculation system through which the salary of government employees is decided. 2.57 fitment factor means a salary increase of 157 percent.

8th Pay Commission Salary Calculation

For example, if the commission recommends a fitment factor of 2.86, this will increase the basic pay of government employees from ₹18,000 to ₹51,480.

This calculation is done by using the simple formula: 2.86 * current basic pay.

Using the formula, an employee currently earning a basic salary of ₹20,000 may see an increase to ₹46,600 – ₹57,200. Additionally, the minimum basic salary is anticipated to exceed ₹40,000, along with revised allowances and perks.

The minimum pension, in such a scenario, would rise from ₹9,000 to ₹36,000. The same formula is used to calculate the pension.

Under the proposed changes, government employees will see their salaries adjusted based on the fitment factor. If the factor is set at 2.0, the basic salary could rise to ₹36,000, reflecting a 100% increase. With a fitment factor of 2.08, the lowest basic salary may rise to ₹37,440 (a 108% surge). Pensioners will also benefit, with the minimum pension expected to increase to ₹18,720.

Lakhs of employees will benefit

The Centre’s 8th Pay Commission move is expected to benefit around 50 lakh central government employees, including defence personnel. The Pay Revision Commission will also benefit around 65 lakh central government pensioners, including defence retirees.

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation/investment advice.

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Will anything change with the introduction of the new bill

According to sources, after the implementation of the new Income Tax Bill (New Income Tax Bill 2025), the entire terminology related to the income tax rules will change. It is being said that after the new bill becomes a law, many old words will either be removed or changed. For example, after the new bill comes into force, tax year can be used in place of assessment year. There is talk of changing more similar words as well.

It will be easy for the common man to understand the rules

According to sources, as soon as the new bill becomes law, the use of many such words from the British era will also stop. These words have been in use for the last 60 years. Along with this, the language used in the income tax rules will also be simplified so that any common man can understand it easily.

Let us tell you that a few days ago, while presenting the general budget, Nirmala Sitharaman made a big announcement that now people with income up to Rs 12 lakh will not have to pay any tax. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman surprised everyone by giving this tax exemption to people earning up to Rs 12 lakh. After the general budget, Nirmala Sitharaman had a special conversation with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia. During this, she said that this decision has been taken after a lot of thought.

Saw the lifestyle of a person earning 1 lakh rupees

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that there is a lot of discussion in the middle class about what they got. Our focus is always on people from every sector. This time we saw what is the lifestyle of those who earn at least Rs 1 lakh? How do these people live… what kind of lifestyle do they maintain? After seeing all this, we came to the decision that those who earn Rs 1 lakh every month should be given exemption.

Referring to India’s economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that India’s fundamentals are good today and for this, PM Modi has been guiding us since long. He has been advising us to strengthen the fundamentals. He also included this aspect in it that we have to do something for the middle class who are our taxpayers, but the question was what to do. He had asked us to work on this.

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A briefing will be given on the decision taken in the Modi cabinet meeting at 3 pm. The committee led by former President Ramnath Kovind submitted its report in March on the possibilities of One Nation One Election.

These parties gave support

Apart from BJP, Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, Nitish Kumar’s JDU and Chirag Paswan’s LJP (R) are the big parties in the NDA government. JDU and LJP (R) are ready for one country, one election. TDP has not given any answer on this.

Also Read: PF Withdrawal Limit Change: Govt increases PF withdrawal limit to ₹1 lakh. Check Details Here

The country will have to come forward for ‘one nation, one election’- PM

PM Modi had said from the ramparts of the Red Fort that frequent elections are hindering the country’s progress. The country will have to come forward for ‘one nation, one election’. BJP has also included the issue of One Nation-One Election in its election manifesto. After getting approval from the Union Cabinet, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has opposed this decision. Reacting to One Nation-One Election, Mallikarjun Kharge said that this is not practical and it is not going to work.

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The central government has made a big change in the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Earlier this scheme did not include elderly people of all categories. Now all people above the age of 70 years will be able to take advantage of this scheme. Under this scheme, treatment up to Rs 5 lakh can be availed for free.

The central government has made this big announcement on Wednesday. Now the elderly aged 70 years and above will be included in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). The government said that about 4.5 crore families will benefit from this step. There are 6 crore elderly people in these families. They will get free health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh on the basis of family.

All senior citizens aged 70 years and above are eligible

The government said, ‘With this approval, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their financial status, will be eligible to avail the benefits of AB PM-JAY. Eligible senior citizens will be issued a new separate card under AB PM-JAY. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above who belong to families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year for themselves (which they will not have to share with other family members who are below 70 years of age).’

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Elderly people who are already taking advantage of insurance plans have options

It further states that all other senior citizens aged 70 years and above will get a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh on a family basis. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are already availing benefits under other public health insurance schemes such as Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) can either choose their existing scheme or opt for AB PMJAY. It has been clarified that senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are already availing benefits under private health insurance policies or Employees State Insurance Scheme will be eligible to receive benefits under AB PM-JAY. The

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised in its Lok Sabha election manifesto that it would expand the Ayushman Bharat scheme to include all persons from the transgender community and senior citizens aged 70 years and above.

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The Center has also approved the budget for the new Metroline. The new metro line will cover a distance of 28.50 kilometers and cover 27 metro stations. Whereas, approval has also been given to connect the new spur metro line with the Dwarka Expressway.

New metro line from HUDA City Center to Cyber ​​City sanctioned

Metro connectivity is being expanded in the National Capital Region. The new metro line from HUDA City Center to Cyber ​​City Gurugram has been approved in the Union Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. In this, a spur line will connect Dwarka Metro Station. Rs 5,452 crore will be spent on this metro project.

Target to build new metro line in 4 years

Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that a new metro line has been approved between HUDA City Center and Cyber ​​City, Gurugram. In this, a spur line will also connect the Dwarka Expressway. He said that the cost of this metro project would be Rs 5,452 crore and it would be completed within 4 years. He said that the entire metro line will be built above ground.

27 stations will be covered in a distance of 28 kms.

The metro line will cover a distance of 28.50 kms and 27 stations will be covered. With the Union Cabinet approving the metro project, connectivity between old and new Gurugram will improve. Whereas, this network will also connect Metro with Indian Railways. Whereas, in the next phase, there is a plan to connect IGI Airport to the metro network as well.

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But it is going to be approved in the meeting of the Union Cabinet to be held today. This will be approved in the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. This time too, like the last time, there will be an increase of four percent in the dearness allowance.

Dearness Allowance is being received at the rate of 38 percent

At present the central government employees are getting Dearness Allowance at the rate of 38 percent. After an increase of four percent, it will increase to 42%. It will be implemented from January 1. That is, the arrears of January and February will be given to the employees by the government. On Wednesday, the cabinet meeting is going on under the chairmanship of PM Modi. In this, approval on dearness allowance is the biggest issue. Sources related to the meeting claim that the cabinet has made up its mind regarding this.

Dearness allowance will be given at the rate of 42 percent Dearness allowance
at the rate of 42 percent is to be paid to central employees and pensioners in the salary of March. Along with this, arrears of two months will also be given to the salary earners and pensioners. If you look at the inflation chart, from July 2022 to December 2022, there has been an increase of 2.6 points in the AICPI index. In this there has been an increase of 4.40% in the total dearness allowance.

Based on the data of AICPI index of December 2022, it is decided to increase 4 percent dearness allowance. But its effect will be beneficial only when the approval is received. With a jump of 4 percent, the salary of central employees will increase by Rs 720 per month. This increase will be Rs 2276 per month for the maximum salary range. Calculating the minimum basic salary range of Level-3 at Rs 18,000…

1. Basic salary of the employee Rs 18,000
2. New Dearness Allowance (42%) Rs 7560/month
3. Till now Dearness Allowance (38%) Rs 6840/month
4. How much Dearness Allowance increased 7560-6840 = Rs 720/month
5. Increase in annual salary 720X12= Rs 8640

With 42% dearness allowance, the maximum basic salary of level-3 is calculated at Rs 56,900.

1. Basic salary of the employee Rs 56900
2. New Dearness Allowance (42%) Rs 23898/month
3. Till now Dearness Allowance (38%) Rs 21622/month
4. How much Dearness Allowance increased 23898-21622 = Rs 2276/month
5. Increase in annual salary 2276X12 = Rs 27312

Note: This figure of dearness allowance is tentative on the basis of 7th pay commission. After the increase in DA, the final calculation may increase.

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