New Delhi

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday criticised the Central government over the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, asserting that describing the legislation as a law to "prevent" unfair means is a misnomer, as it merely acts to "punish" offenders after the crime is committed.

Taking to X, Chidambaram pointed out that Parliament recently passed the Bill to enhance punishments for offences under the law and set up Fast Track Courts.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 was amended last week by an Amendment Act by Parliament

The Amendment Act enhances the punishment for offences and sets up Fast Track Courts

The Parent Act contained 19 sections. The Amendment amended 3 sections…

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 1, 2026

"The Parent Act contained 19 sections. The Amendment amended 3 sections and introduced a new section," Chidambaram stated. "It is a misnomer to describe either the Parent Act or the Amendment Act as a law to 'prevent' unfair means. Both are laws to 'punish' those guilty of using unfair means."

Emphasising the core distinction between proactive measures and reactive penalties, the veteran leader highlighted that true prevention requires strict safeguards before exams are compromised.

"'Prevention' means steps BEFORE unfair means are used. On the other hand, 'punishment' means steps AFTER unfair means are used," he wrote.

Chidambaram further alleged that despite Opposition leaders raising this fundamental distinction during debates in both Houses of Parliament, the government offered no response.

"The obvious distinction was pointed out by the Opposition speakers in the debates in both Houses. There was no answer, or even an attempt to answer, by the Government," he added.

Earlier, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, was cleared by the Rajya Sabha on Friday, with Opposition members staging a walkout during the voting.

The legislation triggered a sharp political divide, with Opposition parties accusing the Centre of rushing the amendments and failing to address the root causes of recurring examination paper leaks. They alleged that the Bill was brought to defuse widespread student protests rather than introduce systemic reforms to prevent future irregularities.

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The Centre, however, defended the amendments, saying they reflected the government's willingness to "learn from experience" following the implementation of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and were aimed at further strengthening the legal framework to curb examination malpractices.