India, July 29 -- On Tuesday, a marathon debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, began in the Lok Sabha, with the government presenting it as a landmark piece of legislation meant to ensure the sanctity of competitive examinations, with the Opposition alleging that the Bill does not stop the leaking of papers despite the enactment of such a law in 2024. Beginning the debate, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated that the government is ready for a 10-hour debate on the Bill, as members of the Opposition said that the leaking of examination papers had dented the confidence of students and sparked protests across the country.
While participating in the debate, BJP member of parliament Bansuri Swaraj termed the Bill as "a transformative amendment," saying that the Bill is "not just a necessity but a demand of the age." She remarked with a Gen Z terminology, "Modiji clocked it and made a legislative fix for it." This, according to her, demonstrated that the amendment was an example of the government's dedication to tackling exam misconducts. "It is a testament to the Modi government's sensitivity and responsible governance," Swaraj said, adding that papers being leaked were detrimental not only to the students, but also to their families. She recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to paper leaks as "major crimes" and stated that the amendment showed their commitment to it. "It is not just a declaration by the Prime Minister but the commitment of his government. And that is why this amendment has been brought here today," she said.
Outlining some of the features of the Bill, she said the law required the setting up of fast-track courts in each state and Union Territory. "The investigation agencies will have to complete the probe in two months, while the fast-track courts will have to complete the trial and give its verdict in three months," she added, stating that there would be no unnecessary adjournments in paper leak cases. She also highlighted the increased penalty in case the bill is enacted. According to the Bill, the penalty for individual offenders will rise from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, with imprisonment from five to ten years. Service providers in case of guilty will have to face a penalty of up to Rs 5 crore and will also be barred for eight years, and criminal organisations indulging in paper leaks will have to face fines of up to Rs 10 crore, with imprisonment from seven to ten years. "This amendment protects merit, preserves fairness and safeguards the dreams of India's youth," Swaraj said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.