Monsoon Session: Govt Tables Stricter Anti-Paper Leak Bill In Lok Sabha Amid Opposition Protests Over NEET Crackdown

High drama unfolded in Parliament on Monday as the Union Government introduced a revamped anti-paper leak legislation in the Lok Sabha, even as an unrelenting Opposition forced repeated adjournments over alleged police excesses against protesting NEET aspirants.

The opening day of the second week of the Monsoon Session saw Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh table The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill aims to plug legal loopholes, establish fast-track courts, and impose crippling financial penalties on offending service providers. However, the legislative push was quickly overshadowed by loud sloganeering from INDIA bloc MPs, who marched to the well of the House demanding answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the force used on student demonstrators in the national capital on 20 July.

Tighter Anti-Leak Law Tabled

The newly tabled amendment bill marks the central government's most aggressive legislative step yet to restore credibility to national competitive examinations following weeks of nationwide turmoil.
Key provisions in the proposed legislation include:
• Fast-track Judicial Proceedings: Mandates special courts to conclude trials within three months from the date a charge sheet is filed.
• Strict Probes: Requires central investigating agencies or special investigation teams (SITs) to complete enquiries within two months.
• Severe Penalties for Testing Agencies: Service providers caught compromising exam integrity face fines up to £5 crore (Rs 5 crore), recovery of examination costs, and an eight-year ban from conducting public exams.
• Tougher Custodial Sentences: Longer prison terms for individuals and coaching centers involved in organised paper leaks.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju appealed to all political parties to allow a smooth debate, noting that the measure directly addresses the anxieties of millions of young candidates across the country.
Opposition Demands Accountability Over Student Crackdown

Despite the government's olive branch—which followed the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the weekend and the takeover by Pralhad Joshi—the Opposition remained in no mood to yield.

Floor leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Left parties met at the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge before the session began to align their parliamentary strategy. Following the morning adjournment, senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Akhilesh Yadav staged a demonstration near Makar Dwar inside the Parliament complex.

Congress MPs Randeep Singh Surjewala, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Vijay Vasanth, along with TMC MP Sagarika Ghose and CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar, submitted formal notices seeking the suspension of business and an immediate discussion on the 20 July 'Sansad Chalo' march. Opposition leaders alleged that security forces used lathis, tear gas, and pellet guns against peaceful student protesters, while questioning the deployment of unidentifiable personnel in plain clothes.

In a letter addressed to the Union Home Minister, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi questioned who authorised the use of force against the youth and demanded an independent inquiry, medical aid, and financial compensation for injured students.

With both Houses adjourned till 2:00 PM amid persistent disruptions, the government faces an uphill task in securing a quiet passage for its legislative agenda as the Opposition pledges to keep the focus squarely on accountability and student rights.