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Informist, Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

 

--Lok Sabha passes Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Lok Sabha Wednesday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, after a 10-hour-long fiery debate, which saw multiple run-ins between the Opposition and the ruling party members. The Bill was moved by Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh.

 

The amendment seeks to further strengthen the provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 by providing for time-bound investigation, speedy trial through special fast-track courts, time-bound disposal of appeals and more stringent penal provisions to effectively deter unfair means and organised malpractices in public examinations.

 

The Bill seeks to increase the punishment for persons involved in unfair practices to not less than five years, extendable up to 10 years, as against the existing provision of imprisonment for a term of not less than three years, extendable up to five years. The maximum fine is also proposed to be raised from INR 1 million to INR 5 million.

 

Speaking on the Bill, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, of capturing India's education system, "stifling students' voices" and reducing education to an "extortion system". "Our system is terrible, it's cruel... Everything is being privatised... It is an extortion system, it is a brutal, terrible system. The soul of the system has been captured by the RSS," Gandhi said. Referring to nationwide students' agitation, Gandhi said the students were irritated because they are "not allowed to say what they want" and not allowed to ask the questions that they want. "They have to buy this nonsensical history that the RSS fantasises about," he said.

 

Speaking on the proposed legislation Tuesday, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the government over Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as education minister. "Ek Pradhan ji ko hataa kar Pradhan Mantri ko bachaa liya apne (By removing Pradhan, you saved the Prime Minister)," Yadav said, adding that he hoped that the government would accept all demands of the students. He also criticised the police crackdown on students, saying the oppression of youth during the recent protest was not less than what happened during the Emergency.

 

All India Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, speaking in favour of the Bill, took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government over the recent leaks of exam papers. "Every year, the government promises a new system. Every year, students get the same old scandal," he said. "The government says it can track missiles, it can defend cyberspace, yet, somehow confidential examination papers seem to travel faster than the government can detect them," Banerjee said. "What does it say about the state of affairs under the current government?" 

 

BJP lawmaker Anurag Thakur said exam paper leak was no less a danger than terrorism and Maoism, as it targeted the youth. "I want to tell the youth of the country that we will fully cure this disease of paper leaks," he said.

 

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Dayanidhi Maran reiterated his party's demand to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for medical admissions, arguing against a common examination when education system varied across states. "Enough is enough, ban NEET. Till now in India, 107 students have died by suicide due to competitive exams," Maran said, adding that in Tamil Nadu alone, 26 aspirants have killed themselves as they could not handle the exam's pressure.

 

Jitendra Singh said the Centre had responded promptly after the NEET paper leak issue surfaced. "As many as 52 FIRs have been lodged since the anti-paper leak law came into force in 2024," he told the House. Singh said the amendments showed the government's willingness to improve the law based on experience.

 

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill with a voice vote as the Opposition staged a walkout.  End

 

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Shubhayan Bhattacharya

 

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