saidNEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday took up for discussion the Centre’s proposed legislation to amend the anti-paper leak law, amid nationwide calls for tougher safeguards against examination fraud and wider education reforms following the NEET (UG) question paper leak in May.Union minister Jitendra Singh introduced the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Monday after the first week of Parliament’s Monsoon session, which began on July 20, was washed out amid large-scale student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The demonstrations ultimately forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as education minister.No discussion on the Bill could take place during the first six days of the Monsoon session as the opposition remained firm on its demand for a government response to the police action against student protesters in the national capital and several other parts of the country. Following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Union minister Pralhad Joshi has been assigned additional charge of the Ministry of Education.
Bill reaffirms govt’s commitment to safeguard students’ welfare: Jitendra Singh
Opening the debate, Union minister Jitendra Singh described the proposed legislation as a “reaffirmation” of the government’s commitment to protecting students’ interests.Singh said the Bill seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which he described as the first legislation of its kind in independent India.“The earlier Act and the amendment today are, in a way, a reaffirmation of this government’s deep commitment to safeguard the welfare of the students and the youth of this country,” he said.Calling it a “milestone legislation”, Singh added that the Bill also reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve “not to allow anyone to compromise with the future of the children of Mother India.”
Cong condemns Delhi Police action on protesters
Opening the debate for the opposition, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the BJP for garlanding former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that 21 students had died by suicide after the NEET (UG) examination was cancelled following the question paper leak.Pradhan, was welcomed by MPs of the BJP-led NDA with garlands when he arrived in Parliament on Monday, two days after stepping down.“21 children lost their lives; they committed suicide. 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,” Gogoi remarked.Gogoi also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Instagram reels he released for student protesters, saying the government had prioritised messaging over meaningful education reforms.“Today, the Prime Minister appears in Instagram reels. In the first Cabinet meeting, instead of having a comprehensive discussion on how to improve education and dismantle the paper-setting mafia, paper-solving mafia and the testing centre mafia, Prime Minister Modi simply said to focus more on Instagram,” Gogoi added.He also sought an explanation from the government over the alleged use of tear gas, pellet guns and lathi-charge against student protesters, including women.“Who ordered the use of tear gas, pellet guns, lathi-charge and assault on women? We want answers,” the Jorhat MP
Pradhan’s removal saved ‘Pradhan Mantri’: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also took a swipe at the BJP over Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, saying the removal of “Pradhan” had saved the “Pradhan Mantri” (prime minister).“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 remarked, in a jibe at the government.Yadav also raised the issue of the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, questioning the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government’s ability to prevent paper leaks.Referring to the alleged incident, the SP chief asked how those who had failed to prevent the theft of devotees’ offerings could be expected to stop question paper leaks.Yadav also described the CJP-led demonstrations as the first student agitation in which parents of the protesting students also participated.
PM Modi ‘clocked it’: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj invokes ‘Gen Z language’
Speaking in favour of the Bill during the debate, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said, “Borrowing Gen Z’s language, I would have to say that Modiji clocked it at providing this legislative solution.”“I am standing in support of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. This is a transformative amendment. Its necessity is not only evident, but it is also the demand of the present time. Bringing this amendment is proof of the sensitivity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his committed government. Speaker Sir, when a competitive examination is compromised, its impact is not limited to the candidate whose future is put at stake,” she added.
Bill can’t erase 12 years of incompetence: Abhishek Banerjee
Abhishek Banerjee of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction backed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, but said supporting the legislation did not amount to endorsing the Centre’s handling of paper leaks. Stressing that students deserved fair examinations, he said, “Support for this bill cannot be a substitute for accountability.”Banerjee argued that “a stronger law is necessary, yes, but by itself is not sufficient” if examinations continue to be undermined by systemic failures. He also described the amendment as “an admission that the NDA and the BJP government have failed” to protect the integrity of public examinations, adding that “increasing punishment would erase 12 years of incompetence.”Taking a swipe at the government, he alleged that “whenever governance fails, they change the law; whenever administration collapses, they increase punishment,” asserting that “governance is not done by headlines; governance is measured by outcomes.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacks Centre
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP-led Centre of “hollowing” out the education system by filling it with “RSS pracharaks”. She also criticised the creation of the National Testing Agency (NTA), alleging that the government had centralised the examination system while reducing the share of the education budget.The Wayanad MP also questioned the use of force against student protesters, asking, “What was the need to unleash pellet guns and AK-47s on the country’s youth? Were they terrorists?” Demanding accountability, she asked who had ordered the use of pellet guns and whether the decision was taken by the Prime Minister or the Home Minister.The Siwan district administration in Bihar later clarified that the use of an AK-47 during the protests was unauthorised and inappropriate for public crowd-control duties, and that the constable concerned had been suspended.Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also recalled meeting the mother of a student who was injured during police action and admitted to the ICU at a Delhi hospital. She said the mother was distressed by repeated visits from politicians, telling them, “Even those who are responsible for my daughter’s condition came here. Why?” Calling the encounter deeply moving, the Congress leader appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to explain “what was the need to inflict such oppression on an innocent girl?”
Gandhis vs Pralhad Joshi
The debate also witnessed a heated exchange between Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and newly appointed Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi. The Wayanad MP alleged that Joshi had expressed “happiness” over the release of those convicted of raping a pregnant woman.While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not name the case, she appeared to be referring to the 2022 release of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. At the time, Joshi had said the release was in accordance with the law. The Supreme Court later quashed the remission and ordered the convicts back to prison in January 2024.“The prime minister appointed a new education minister, a person who expressed consent and even happiness over the release of those convicted of raping a pregnant woman,” the Wayanad MP alleged, prompting Joshi and parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene and demand that she substantiate the claim.An irate Joshi demanded that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra be expelled from the House and asked her to apologise for the remark.However, she hit back saying that has a video of the minister backing the convicted rapists.“At a time when they are saying that they are bringing in women’s rights, women’s reservations and they are putting women in the forefront…It’s a very wrong message…I am going to authenticate. There is a video of that time. I will submit everything with proper procedure,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated.Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi backed his sister and remarked that there cannot a “filthier” person than one who defends release of convicted rapists.“Education minister of India – the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no flithier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the education minister of India today. It’s a strange reaction from the PM, that there are so many people in his cabinet, he could have chosen anyone of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. Quite amazing!,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
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