"How did paper leak happen just two years later?" Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questions 2024 anti-paper leak law's effectiveness

Gogoi also questioned the effectiveness of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and alleged that another paper leak occurred in 2026 despite the law.

Opening the discussion from the Opposition side on the Bill in Lok Sabha, Gogoi said, "Now, I want to place before the House the current status of the investigation into the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak. So that the country can understand how serious this government is about the massive corruption that took place in the NEET examination two years ago. With great regret, I want to point out that an article published in 2026 stated that out of the 45 people charge-sheeted in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, 44 have already been granted bail. This is the government's seriousness."

He also criticised former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his earlier remarks denying that the NEET-UG 2024 paper had been leaked.

"Because even after bringing this law in 2024, the paper leaked again in 2026. If the law was so strong, how did such a massive paper leak happen just two years later? The unfortunate part is that even then, the Education Minister was Dharmendra Pradhan. When the 2024 paper leak became a national issue, do you know what Dharmendra Pradhan said? He said, 'Where has the paper leaked? There has been no paper leak', he further said.

The Amendment Bill seeks to further strengthen the provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 by providing for fast-tracked investigation, speedy trial through Special Fast Track Courts, appointment of Special Public Prosecutors, time-bound disposal of appeals and more stringent penal provisions to effectively deter unfair means and organised malpractices in public examinations.

The Bill proposes to enhance the punishment for persons resorting to unfair means by increasing the term of imprisonment to not less than five years, extendable up to ten 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 enhanced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to extend the discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, to up to 10 hours if required.

Rijiju said he had spoken to the leaders of various parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK and NCP, and they had agreed to extend the scheduled six-hour discussion by two hours.

"I spoke with the leaders of all parties, the Congress Chief Whip, the Samajwadi Party Chief Whip, the DMK, and the NCP, and everyone agreed to extend the six-hour discussion by two hours to make it eight hours. We all reached this agreement," Rijiju said in the House.

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh began the debate on the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, stating that the amendments are to the 2024 Bill, which was the first of its kind in independent India to safeguard students' future was introduced by the current government itself. (ANI)