The government’s new 2026 anti-leak legislation and high-tech task force signal a decisive effort to stop exam malpractice and protect students’ academic futures. Ironically, the opposition parties demanding strict action on the paper leaks were seen derailing the very law meant to do that. They stand exposed due to their aggressive and shameful behaviour that was on display in the Parliament, especially the frustration of the LoP.
The 2026 Amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 features stringent measures like heavy prison terms, massive financial penalties, and fast-track trials.
Will such a stringent law work? I doubt. Let us analyse with examples. Have murders stopped due to the death penalty or life imprisonment? Have the laws providing for stringent punishment stopped rapes? No. Robberies, No. The same is true with fast-track courts. All it can do is punish the guilty quickly, provided the suspects are caught and put to trial quickly! But there are always questions of evidence because you can’t punish somebody based on a mere suspicion. And then there are endless possibilities for bail and appeals against the verdict of a lower court in higher courts. So, tareek pe tareek! The example of CBI’s clean chit to alleged NEET-UG 2024 mastermind Sanjeev Mukhiya after more than 2 years, due to lack of evidence linking him to the paper leak, proves this point.
A recent report in India Today shows 70 exam paper leaks in the last 7 years across 15 states. Exam paper leaks are not a recent phenomenon, it has been happening for decades, and with no convictions whatsoever, raise questions about the integrity of exams and the intentions of the government. During the 1960s and 1970s, the phenomenon of “guides” and “guess papers”, often referred to as “important question papers,” served as the earliest evolutionary form of organized paper leaks in the Indian education system.
These leaks were clever, localized, and heavily institutionalized ploys involving the printing press industry and corrupt academic networks. This has now moved up the technology ladder in modern times, using various digital platforms for the distribution of leaked papers. In my opinion, such a stringent law will only raise the stakes and make the offence riskier for the fraudsters. But then, a greater risk means a greater reward from the crime!
Does it mean that this stringent law serves no purpose? My answer is no. This law will act as a crucial deterrent and a necessary first step toward systemic improvement. To maximize effectiveness, the policy must also penalise buyers of leaked papers.
Building a foolproof system requires people with unquestionable integrity in both design and operation. Relying on a high-powered task force led by Nandan Nilekani (Infosys co-founder and former UIDAI chairman) and other members of great repute puts the design phase in safe hands. Now, the government must clarify its strategy for the operational phase. The defining keyword is “Integrity”.
To use an analogy, a burglar intent on a break-in in a house will find a way past almost any lock. You can install stronger mechanisms, moving from standard levers to complex fingerprint or facial scanners, but this only alters the equation. It increases the burglar’s risk of getting caught rather than making the house truly impenetrable. Of course, better locks may lead to fewer crimes, but they can never stop burglary altogether.
The message is clear. What really prevents burglaries is not strong locks but the absence of burglars. The government needs to work in this direction. After all, at the end of the day, even if the offenders are caught and duly punished, the loss suffered by the students because of leaked question papers is irreversible.
I will conclude with some advice to Gen Z who witnessed the Boston fiasco at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi during May-July 2026. While raising your voice on exam paper leaks is your fundamental and democratic right, don’t become a cockroach in the hands of selfish, self-centred political sharks whose sole agenda is only their self-promotion. You are far better with books in your hands, not the vulgar placards, as your degree and your skills are your real power. Your future is built in the classroom, not on the streets running helter-skelter like cockroaches feasting on biryanis, pizzas, puris and samosas while the head cockroach rests in five-star comfort along with his cohorts.
You don’t have to choose between caring about issues and studying hard. You can support causes through informed voting, petitions, social media awareness, and local engagement, but don’t lose your focus on academics. Use your anger as fuel for discipline, not as an excuse to waste time. Be responsible, not just reactive.
And finally, holding the system accountable is important, but so is personal accountability: attending classes, reducing distractions, and building real skills. A rising Bharat needs both strong citizens and strong students. No country or system is perfect, so do ours. There is always a crack somewhere, but that’s how the light gets in.
