New Delhi, Jul 27: The Centre on Monday introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha amid noisy protests by Opposition members over alleged police excesses during the July 20 demonstrations at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
However, all parties are likely to begin discussion on the bill on Tuesday after Monday’s slogeneering by opposition member and multiple adjournments of the Lok Sabha.
The Bill, introduced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, seeks to strengthen the anti-paper leak law by increasing the punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks.
The proposed amendments raise the jail term from the existing three to five years to five to 10 years, while increasing the maximum fine from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.
The draft legislation was approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced tougher measures in response to nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned shortly after the Bill was introduced following a voice vote.
Speaker Om Birla has allotted six hours for discussion on the legislation, with the possibility of extending the debate if required.
Parliament resumed on a stormy note as Opposition parties continued to protest over the police crackdown on demonstrators during the July 20 protest.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) warned that it could resume its agitation, alleging that the government had violated its assurance that no legal action would be taken against peaceful protesters.
In a post on X addressed to Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that “hundreds of students” had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while many others were being harassed or kept under surveillance in Delhi and other states. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs against protesters, the release of detained students, and a written assurance that no fresh cases would be filed, failing which the party would be “forced to sit on protest again.”
Separately, Sonam Wangchuk, speaking at Rajghat after being discharged from the hospital, said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “just the beginning” and expressed hope that the ongoing discussions would lead to meaningful reforms in the country’s education system.
Wangchuk welcomed the proposed amendment to the Public Examinations Act, saying it should be thoroughly debated before implementation.
He also stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and urged authorities not to take action against those participating in non-violent demonstrations, while adding that the law should deal firmly with those acting with malicious intent.
