India, July 29 -- Supporting the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday nevertheless launched a sharp attack on the Centre, arguing that the proposed legislation was "not a solution but an admission of failure" after years of recurring paper leak scandals. Participating in the Lok Sabha debate on the Bill, Banerjee said his party backed stronger legal safeguards to ensure fair examinations but made it clear that support for the legislation should not be construed as an endorsement of the government's handling of the issue.
"Every student deserves the assurance that examinations should be fair. Every parent deserves the confidence that success is determined by hard work, talent and integrity," he said, adding that "a stronger law is necessary, but by itself it is not sufficient." The TMC parliamentary party leader accused the NDA government of repeatedly failing to secure public examinations, saying the amendment itself reflected the shortcomings of the existing system. "The Bill being discussed is not a solution; it is an admission. It is an admission that the NDA and the BJP government have failed," Banerjee said, asserting that increasing punishments could not erase "12 years of incompetence."
Arguing that paper leaks had become a recurring pattern, he remarked, "Every year, the government promises a new system, and every year students get the same old scandal. The names of examinations change, the names of victims change, the names of the accused change, but somehow the crime and the government never change." Banerjee listed several examination controversies over the past decade, including NEET-UG, UGC-NET, SSC CGL, JEE Main, AIPMT and other recruitment and entrance examinations, claiming that repeated investigations had yielded little accountability. He also questioned the government's handling of student protests, alleging that those seeking justice had been met with police action instead of dialogue. Calling for greater accountability, Banerjee said the amendment remained silent on administrative negligence and the responsibility of examination authorities. "Young Indians do not fear competition; they fear corruption. They do not fear examinations; they fear the system," he said, urging the government to restore students' trust through effective governance rather than stricter laws alone.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.