Discuss the adequacy of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in curbing organised paper-leak rackets in India. Suggest institutional reforms.

Q. Discuss the adequacy of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in curbing organised paper-leak rackets in India. Suggest institutional reforms. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

India's first central anti-cheating law, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, commenced on 21 June 2024 to break organised leak rackets [1]. It is a sound deterrent framework, but the NEET-UG 2026 leak shows its enforcement architecture remains incomplete.

Where the Act is adequate - Wide coverage: examinations of UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Boards, IBPS and all NTA tests including NEET, JEE and CUET [1]. - Graded punishment: 3–5 years for individual unfair means, and 5–10 years with heavy fine for organised crime, recognising leaks as syndicated, not individual, wrongdoing [1]. - Offences are cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, permitting arrest without warrant and blocking out-of-court settlement [1]. - Protects genuine candidates — punitive clauses target organisers and facilitators, while aspirants remain under the conducting body's own rules [1].

Where it falls short - Insider capture untouched: the CBI's arrest of a chemistry lecturer with NTA-linked access to question papers in the NEET-UG 2026 case shows the leak begins inside the examination chain [3]. - Deterrence without prevention: the law punishes after a leak; it mandates no audit of the question-paper lifecycle or vendor security. - Delayed trials dilute deterrence — the Government itself moved a draft amendment for fast-track courts with time-bound probe and trial [2][4]. - Federal patchwork: parallel state laws differ in scope, while rackets operate across state borders.

Institutional reforms - A permanent exam-integrity oversight body with statutory audit powers over NTA and recruitment agencies. - Technological hardening: encrypted question-paper transmission, staggered digital release, biometric verification and AI-based proctoring. - Fast-track courts with three-month investigation and trial timelines, as proposed in the 2026 amendment Bill [4]. - Rotation and conflict-of-interest vetting of question-setters; a dedicated inter-State investigation cell.

The 2024 Act correctly criminalised the racket; the next step is to secure the process itself. Marrying stringent penalties with independent oversight and technological safeguards will restore the aspirant's faith that selection rests on merit — the equality of opportunity promised by Article 16.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. India Code — Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — coverage, penalties, cognizable/non-bailable nature, protection of genuine candidates 2. PIB — Prime Minister Announces More Strict Actions Against Paper Leaks to Come in Cabinet (24 Jul 2026) — fast-track courts announcement 3. PIB — CBI arrests kingpin in NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case — NTA-linked insider arrested by CBI 4. Akashvani News (Prasar Bharati) — Union Cabinet approves draft Bill for harsher punishment in paper leak cases — amendment Bill, fast-track courts, time-bound probe and trial