Polity · 26 Jul 2026

Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 amendment

With reference to the recent developments concerning India's public examination system, consider the following statements:

  1. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 came into force only after the Cabinet's 2026 amendment; prior to this, paper leaks carried no statutory criminal penalty.
  2. The 2026 Cabinet-approved amendments provide statutory backing for fast-track courts and a five-month timeline for investigation and trial.
  3. The National Testing Agency's ongoing structural overhaul follows recommendations of a committee headed by a former ISRO chairman.
  4. Personnel for the National Testing Agency's overhaul are being recruited partly through the UPSC's Pratibha Setu portal.

How many of the above statements are correct?

AOnly one
BOnly two
COnly three
DAll four
This question is based on: Forty-Seven Sackings and a Tougher Law: Why Neither One Works Without the Other
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 26 Jul 2026
About this question

Why in news

The Union Cabinet approved tougher anti-paper-leak amendments on the same day the NTA terminated 47 officials as part of a structural overhaul, following sustained protests over the NEET-UG 2026 leak.

Why for UPSC

UPSC often tests whether aspirants know the timeline and pre-existing provisions of a law before its amendment, rather than assuming a new law created penalties that already existed.

Prelims summary

The 2024 Act already carried a 10-year maximum penalty for organised paper-leak crime; the 2026 amendment added fast-track courts and a fixed trial timeline, while the NTA underwent a parallel institutional overhaul based on the Radhakrishnan committee's recommendations.

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