The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a draft Bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, including 10-year jail term and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement to this effect.The Bill will amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. It is likely to be taken up for consideration and passing in Parliament on Monday.While final consultations on the Bill are underway, sources said the proposed legislation provided for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore. It also sought to increase the minimum imprisonment for those convicted in paper leak cases from the current three years to five years.The sources said the existing law was comprehensive and that several paper leak gangs had been apprehended across the country with the help of its provisions. The amendment Bill aimed at further strengthening the Act, they added.Meanwhile, the government is also preparing to set up fast-track courts exclusively to hear criminal cases relating to question paper leaks and other unfair practices in public examinations, sources aware of the development said.The Delhi High Court on July 23 had designated a special fast-track court to exclusively hear criminal cases relating to question paper leaks and other unfair practices in public examinations.A notification in this regard said the court of judicial officer Anu Grover Baliga had been notified as a “Specially Designated Fast Track Court” to try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, along with connected offences.The amendments are expected to crack down on the mafia involved in distributing and monetising leaked examination papers.The national outrage over the NEET-UG and UGC-NET paper leaks in 2024 prompted the government to enact the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Under the existing law, if during the investigation it is found that an offence was committed with the consent or connivance of any director, senior management official or person in charge of an examination service provider, the accused is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years, which may extend to 10 years, along with a fine of Rs 1 crore.In the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Act, the government acknowledged that malpractices in public examinations lead to delays and cancellations, adversely affecting the prospects of millions of youth.“If a person or a group of persons, including the examination authority or service provider or any other institution, commits an organised crime, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than five years but which may extend to 10 years and with a fine which shall not be less than one crore rupees. In case of default in payment of fine, an additional term of imprisonment shall be imposed as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,” the existing Act says.