New Delhi [India], July 28 (ANI): The ruling and opposition parties clashed in the Lok Sabha over the NEET-UG paper leak issue as the Centre introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeking stricter punishments and a faster probe into examination-related offences.
Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, who introduced the Bill, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting students’ interests and described the Amendment Bill, 2026, as a “milestone legislation.”
However, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi and INDIA bloc MPs criticised the government against the backdrop of widespread protests across the country.
Jitendra Singh moved the amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, for discussion in the Lok Sabha amid nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak.
The Union Minister said, “This bill, which was introduced yesterday, is, in fact, an amendment to the earlier Bill—the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was also brought by this government. And not only was it brought, but it was also perhaps the first of its kind in the history of independent India. The earlier Bill and the amendment today are, in a way, a reaffirmation of this government’s deep commitment to safeguarding the welfare of the students and the youth of this country.”
“At the same time, it is also a reiteration of Prime Minister Modi’s resolve not to allow anyone to compromise the future of the children of Mother India. Therefore, this Bill can be described, in a way, as milestone legislation in the history of the Indian Parliament,” he added.
Describing the provisions of the Bill, Singh said the amendment aims to “make the law more stringent” and ensure speedy justice so that the credibility of examinations is enhanced and restored.
The Bill proposes increasing the punishment for individuals involved in unfair means by raising the imprisonment term to not less than five years, extendable up to 10 years, compared with the existing provision of three years, extendable up to five years.
The maximum fine is also proposed to be increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.
For service providers found involved in offences, the Bill proposes increasing the maximum fine to Rs 5 crore and extending the period of debarment from conducting public examinations from four years to eight years.
For organised examination-related crimes, the amendment proposes increasing the minimum imprisonment term from five years to seven years, extendable up to 10 years, while raising the maximum fine from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore.
The Bill also empowers the Centre to constitute a Special Task Force to investigate paper leaks and examination-related offences. It proposes a new Section 12A providing for completion of investigations within two months, designation of Sessions Courts as Special Fast Track Courts for day-to-day trials, completion of trials within three months from the filing of charge sheets, and appointment of Special Public Prosecutors for every Special Fast Track Court.
“The most important thing, which the Prime Minister also mentioned through the video, is to ensure speedy justice. We will have special fast-track courts established only for cases dealing with unfair means in examinations. We have set a time limit for that also. The investigation has to be completed within two months, regardless of whether it is a central agency or a Special Task Force,” Singh told the Lower House.
Singh also recalled paper leaks during the Congress-led UPA governments. Amid criticism of the National Testing Agency (NTA), he said the Congress government had recommended establishing a common national testing agency, which was eventually formed in 2017.
Gen-Z terminology also became part of the Lok Sabha debate, with BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj saying, “Modi ji clocked it and provided a legislative solution.”
Meanwhile, Shrikant Shinde took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying that his protest near Lok Kalyan Marg was held out of “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out).
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said students wanted solutions on the NEET-UG paper leak issue rather than political blame games.
“Students want solutions, not politics,” Surya said, adding that the Narendra Modi government was focused on strengthening the examination system through structural reforms and preventing future paper leaks.
On reforms, Surya said the government was moving towards Computer-Based Tests (CBT) and had constituted a high-powered committee for comprehensive examination reforms.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi over his protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said, “Rahul Gandhi felt that neither the youth of the country asked him, nor Akhilesh, nor any political party, so what should he do? So he did what no Leader of Opposition should do—he went and lay down outside the Prime Minister’s residence.”
“Look, Rahul ji, I can understand your agony and restlessness that you are not getting the chance to go inside the Prime Minister’s residence, but you took the opportunity to fight outside itself,” he added.
Taking aim at Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party over their past position on anti-cheating measures, Thakur recalled the anti-copying law introduced during the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh.
He further said, “I would only like to say: ‘Khud miya fazihat, dusron ko nasihat’ (making a fool of oneself while advising others).”
Hitting out at the government, Priyanka Gandhi said thousands of young people had taken to the streets peacefully to raise their voices and demanded accountability from the government. She said students were losing faith in the system and beginning to believe that dishonesty mattered more than hard work.
“The Constitution of this country is above all for us, and democracy is supreme. To destroy it is a sin. The millions of people of this country ask only one thing from us: accountability. After giving us power and bringing us here, their only expectation is that whatever we do should be for their welfare. And if injustice is done to them, we must be answerable to them and ensure that they get justice. Thousands of young people took to the streets in recent days and expressed their pain,” the Congress MP said.
She criticised the government over the felicitation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, saying it was ironic that he was being welcomed while a family in Maharashtra was mourning the death of their daughter, who died by suicide following the paper leak.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks against newly appointed Education Minister Pralhad Joshi sparked a sharp exchange in the Lok Sabha, with treasury bench members accusing her of spreading misinformation and making personal allegations.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also echoed similar sentiments over Pradhan’s welcome in Parliament, saying, “The minister under whose watch 21 children lost their lives, when he resigned from his post and returned to the House yesterday, you garlanded him as if he had returned from a war against Pakistan.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the Centre, saying that by removing one “Pradhan”, the government had effectively saved the “Pradhan Mantri”, in an apparent reference to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Yadav said the resignation reflected the pressure created by students protesting against alleged irregularities in public examinations.
“When the Minister (former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan) arrived (at Parliament), he was welcomed outside the House. Imagine the immense relief the members must have felt and the major crisis from which they were saved. By removing one ‘Pradhan’, you effectively saved the ‘Pradhan Mantri’,” Yadav said.
Yadav also backed the student movement at Jantar Mantar and praised the “determination, grit and willpower” of the young protesters.
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, who was present during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar, demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally respond to what she described as a “barbaric” police crackdown on students.
The Opposition’s major criticism of the anti-paper leak Bill was that the 2024 Act had failed to achieve significant convictions in paper leak cases. Opposition leaders questioned previous investigations and the “integrity” of the Centre.
Pointing out alleged discrepancies in the implementation of the 2024 Act, KC Venugopal alleged that central agencies were being used against political opponents instead of investigating paper leaks.
“Twenty-two lakh students were appearing in the NEET-UG examination, but it was leaked at the setting stage. CBI, ED and Income Tax agencies were powerful once upon a time; you completely misused all these agencies. The agencies only decide on searching political leaders and your political enemies,” Venugopal said.
He also questioned the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during the debate.
NCP (SCP) leader Supriya Sule sought the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill and called for an all-party meeting to gather suggestions for improving the education sector.
She also demanded a detailed inquiry into the police action against protesters.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Dayanidhi Maran called for the abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions, reiterating his party’s long-standing opposition to the examination. He argued against a uniform examination system when education standards vary across states.
The discussion on the Bill in the Lok Sabha is ongoing. (ANI)
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