"Historic event": BJP MP Dinesh Sharma slams Congress for shying away from debate on anti-paper leak Bill

Reacting to the legislative measure designed to crack down on examination malpractices, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma hailed the new law as a critical milestone for the nation's students, while severely criticising the Congress party for avoiding active participation in the parliamentary debate.

Speaking to ANI, Sharma underscored the government's commitment to safeguarding the academic future of India's youth:

"This is a historic event. Recognising its responsibility towards our youth and students, and aiming to prevent any such lapses in the future, the government has taken this step. It is unfortunate that the Congress was shying away from the discussion. You shout when out on the streets, but when the anti-paper leak bill, which is crucial for shaping the future of students, is brought up for debate, instead of discussing it, offering suggestions, or proposing additions, they did not utter a single word..."

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was passed by the Lok Sabha amid high-voltage political drama. The legislative framework aims to severely penalise paper leaks, cheating, and related organised fraud by establishing stricter deterrents, constituting a Special Task Force for thorough investigations, and setting up Special Fast Track Courts for time-bound judicial trials.

While the ruling coalition has championed the act as a decisive shield for aspirants, opposition leaders--including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi--have used the ongoing session to question government accountability, spotlight recent student protests in the capital, and demand independent probes into examination system failures, setting the stage for continued political confrontation.

On the other hand, speaking to ANI on the legislative implications, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji emphasised that institutional transparency and systemic accountability should take priority over excessive penal measures to protect non-guilty individuals from inadvertent legal complications.

"Rather than enacting sweeping legal provisions, it is better to ensure accountability and bring about transparency... It is often observed that innocent people get entangled in such laws while the guilty manage to cleverly escape. Laws should be enacted, but they should not contain such harsh provisions that an innocent person's life is ruined if they get caught in them. We believe that accountability and transparency must be ensured," She said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh moved the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha after it was passed in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote following an extensive discussion yesterday. The Bill has been taken up for discussion in the Upper House.

During his address, Singh said that the Bill is an extension of the earlier bill. He said that there is a deep sense of sensitivity and concern that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again expressed for the youth of this country.

Highlighting the key provisions of the Amendment Bill, Jitendra Singh said the punishment for persons resorting to unfair means has been enhanced from imprisonment of three to five years to five to ten years, while the maximum fine has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. For service providers involved in such offences, the maximum fine has been enhanced from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore and the period of debarment from conducting public examinations has been increased from four years to eight years.

Punishment for directors and senior management of service providers has also been enhanced from three to ten years' imprisonment to five to ten years, with the maximum fine increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore. The Bill further enhances punishment for organised crime from five to ten years' imprisonment to seven to ten years and increases the maximum fine from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore.

The Minister said the Amendment Bill provides for the establishment of Special Fast Track Courts for offences relating to public examinations and envisages completion of investigation within two months and completion of trial within three months from the date of filing of the charge sheet. The Bill also provides for appointment of Special Public Prosecutors and empowers the Government to constitute a Special Task Force for investigation of offences under the Act, thereby ensuring swift and effective action against organised examination-related crimes. (ANI)