Context: The Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha voice vote, July 29; Rajya Sabha, July 30) following the NEET-UG 2026 paper-leak controversy and nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and has now received Presidential assent.

Key Facts:

•  Amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which had secured zero convictions in two years of operation.

•  Investigations must conclude within 60 days; trials must finish within 3 months of chargesheet filing in newly designated special fast-track courts (a Court of Session in each State/UT).

•  Penalty for general offences under Section 10(1) raised from 3-5 years' imprisonment and fine up to ₹10 lakh, to 5-10 years and fine up to ₹50 lakh.

•  Organised crime networks (Section 11): minimum imprisonment raised to 7 years (from a lesser term), fine up to ₹10 crore (from ₹1 crore).

•  Service providers face fines up to ₹5 crore (from ₹1 crore) and debarment up to 8 years (from 4 years).

•  Courts restricted from granting adjournments beyond the next day without exceptional reasons; High Court appeals go to a two-judge Division Bench, to be resolved within 3 months.

•  Criticism (PRS Legislative Research): unlike the Lokpal Act or the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Bill has no accountability mechanism if the 60-day investigation deadline is missed, and does not require officers to record reasons for delay.

Analysis / Exam Angle:

This is a textbook 'law responds to crisis' case study — useful for tracing the arc from the NEET-UG 2024 leak, to the 2024 Act, to its failure (zero convictions), to the 2026 NEET-UG cancellation, to the present Amendment Act. Note the tension between speedy-trial mandates and the Supreme Court's own 2002 ruling that no rigid outer limit can be judicially prescribed for concluding criminal proceedings — a potential ground for future constitutional challenge.