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BJP MP Raghav Chadha, following the passage of the landmark Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament, hailed the legislation as India's first comprehensive "Anti-Paper Leak" framework.
Taking to X and speaking in the House, Chadha launched a scathing attack on Congress, accusing it of a "historic lack of accountability" regarding student futures. Chadha posted on X: "I spoke for every young Indian who believes that honest effort deserves an honest opportunity. With the passage of the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026, India's first-ever Anti Paper Leak framework comes into effect. Students spoke. The Government listened. Action followed. Systems changed." He further emphasised the emotional and professional toll on aspirants, stating, "Because a paper leak does not merely compromise an examination. It can wipe out years of preparation in a single moment. Every student deserves an examination system where hard work and merit, not a leaked paper, decide the result." During his parliamentary address, Chadha pulled up the Congress government in Karnataka, citing recent and past lapses. Targeting the incumbent administration, he said, "There is a Congress government in Karnataka. In January 2026, the SSLC exam took place. Under that government, the paper was leaked and sold to students online for just 200 rupees." He further pointed to similar instances in Himachal Pradesh, noting that during the Congress tenure, the HP State Selection Commission recruitment exam paper was also leaked. Recalling a decade-old incident to highlight systemic failure, Chadha mentioned the 2016 Karnataka 12th-grade Pre-University College (PUC) chemistry paper leak. "The most saddening thing is that in 2016, under a Congress government in Karnataka, the 12th-grade Pre-University College chemistry paper was leaked. This wasn't just a classroom test; it was a state board exam. After the leak was discovered, the exam was cancelled. A re-exam was conducted 20 days later. That re-exam paper was also leaked! At 3:30 AM, that paper was circulating on WhatsApp, and the re-exam also had to be cancelled," Chadha told the House. The MP highlighted a specific case involving Dr Sharan Patil, a Minister in the Karnataka government, to illustrate a lack of political accountability. "When the State CID investigated, they arrested three people, including the personal assistant (PA) to the Karnataka government's Medical Education Minister, Dr Sharan Patil! The PA was leaking papers for 1 million rupees each," Chadha alleged. He continued, "When the Minister was asked why he wouldn't resign--given his moral and direct responsibility for his PA's actions--he replied that there was no question of resigning, claiming it was his PA's 'personal matter' and 'personal life.' Amazing, sir: the office, designation, and access were all provided by the government, but when it came to an arrest, it was suddenly a 'personal life' matter." Chadha pointed out the irony of the current political situation, stating, "And look at the irony: today in 2026, there is again a Congress government in Karnataka, and Dr Sharan Patil is again a Minister--specifically, the Minister of the same Medical Education department. This is their standard of accountability." Chadha claimed that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government between 2004 and 2014 failed to protect the sanctity of competitive exams. "During the UPA government's tenure from 2004 to 2014, there were dozens of documented examples of paper leaks. This includes the AIIMS Post Graduate Medical Entrance Exam in 2006, the Railway Recruitment Board exam in 2009, the All India Engineering Entrance Exam in 2011, and the SSC Combined Graduate Level Exam in 2013," he noted. Concluding his speech, Chadha questioned the previous administration's will to act: "During that period, did the UPA government establish any accountability? Did they bring any law to overhaul the exam security architecture or introduce dedicated anti-paper leak legislation? They did nothing." (ANI)
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