Rajya Sabha Debate: Kharge Criticises Anti-Paper Leak Bill, Raises Concerns

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday criticised the government over the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, alleging that the legislation was aimed at calming protesting students rather than addressing the root causes behind examination paper leaks. He also questioned the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the discussion in the House.

Speaking during the Rajya Sabha debate on the Bill, Kharge accused the government of acting under pressure from youth protests and said stricter penalties, higher fines and fast-track courts alone would not prevent paper leaks. He argued that the focus should be on improving examination systems, ensuring accountability and introducing reforms to stop irregularities.

The Congress president said the government had failed to explain how it planned to conduct examinations in a manner that would prevent future leaks. He warned that without changes in institutions and the examination process, similar incidents would continue to occur and Parliament would repeatedly return to the same issue.

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Kharge said paper leaks affected not only students but also their families, as young candidates spend years preparing for competitive examinations. He claimed that the Opposition had demanded stronger measures against paper leaks earlier and alleged that the government had introduced the amendment for political reasons rather than as a comprehensive solution.

During his speech, Kharge also referred to student protests and alleged that the government had failed to engage in dialogue with young people raising concerns over examination issues. He accused authorities of using force against protesters and said the government should have provided a detailed explanation in Parliament regarding incidents involving student demonstrations.

Kharge further targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning his absence from the House and demanding answers over allegations of police action during protests. He said the Home Minister should respond to questions regarding law and order issues and alleged that accountability must be fixed for any action taken against students.

The Congress leader also raised allegations of examination irregularities during the current government’s tenure and claimed that several paper leak cases had occurred across the country. He alleged that the government had failed to take adequate action in earlier cases, including the NEET paper leak controversy, while maintaining that stronger reforms were needed to restore confidence among students.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh after being passed by the Lok Sabha. The legislation seeks to strengthen measures against unfair practices in public examinations and is aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the examination system.

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