"Resignation is only a part": Karti Chidambaram on Pradhan's exit, questions Nandan Nilekani panel amid paper leak Bill row

Speaking to ANI about the proposed legislation, Chidambaram said accountability had been fixed with the minister's resignation, but stressed that the government needed to address the root causes of examination leaks.

"While they have fixed accountability and the minister has resigned on moral grounds, I welcome the resignation of the minister. But one must remember that the bill they have brought about right now is only a penalty bill... It itself does not prevent the leaks," he said.

Chidambaram said the high-powered task force constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the leadership of technology expert Nandan Nilekani should focus on strengthening the process of setting and distributing question papers.

"Now the PM has constituted a committee under Nandan Nilekani to come up with a process to strengthen the setting of the question paper and the issuance of the question paper on the day of the exam without having a leak," he said.

However, he questioned the status of an earlier committee constituted to examine examination-related issues.

"But one must remember that a similar leak happened in 2024. Radhakrishnan committee was set up in 2024. They have submitted a report. What has happened to that report? Nobody knows what has been, what is in that report," he said.

The Congress MP also questioned whether setting up another committee would necessarily resolve the issue.

"Setting up a committee does not necessarily mean they're going to find a solution," he said.

Chidambaram further raised questions over the conduct of the NEET examination, saying the issue required a broader discussion.

"And further, whether we should have NEET itself is a critical question because medical colleges are governed by the state governments..." he said.

He said the resignation of the Union Education Minister was only one part of the larger issue surrounding examination irregularities.

"While the resignation of the minister is only a part, it is not the solution to the whole problem which has been there," Chidambaram said.

Referring to the Opposition's concerns over the alleged police action against students during protests in Delhi, Chidambaram backed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's questions on the issue.

"The LoP has asked valid questions. No mature civilised government unleashes such brutality on its own citizens," he said.

Meanwhile, high-voltage scenes were witnessed in Parliament on Monday as Opposition members raised slogans and protested over the alleged police action against students during a recent protest.

Proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were disrupted amid heavy sloganeering and a ruckus by Opposition members, following which both Houses were adjourned till 12 noon.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, amid heightened concerns over paper leaks and examination irregularities, particularly following the NEET-UG 2026 controversy.

The Bill is scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh. Following its introduction, the Minister is scheduled to move that the Bill be taken into consideration and passed by the House.

The development comes as Parliament enters the second week of the Monsoon Session amid heightened political tensions over examination irregularities, following the 37-day-long CJP student agitation at Jantar Mantar that was withdrawn after the government assured protesters of action on their demands.

The developments also follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a high-powered task force on examination reforms headed by technology expert Nandan Nilekani and the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid nationwide student protests over examination irregularities. (ANI)