Rajya Sabha passes Anti-Paper Leak Bill
New Delhi, July 30
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, marking the final Parliamentary approval for legislation aimed at strengthening measures against paper leaks in public examinations.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who holds charge of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, was present in the House as the Bill was cleared.
The Bill, introduced earlier in the day by Jitendra Singh, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a nearly seven-hour debate.
In the Upper House, the discussion saw interventions from both sides, with the government defending the amendments as a necessary step to deter the paper-leak mafia through higher penalties, designated courts, and time-bound trials.
The financial penalty has been enhanced to Rs 10 crore, with provisions for imprisonment and fast-track proceedings.
Jitendra Singh, while piloting the legislation, informed the House that the amendments reflected the government's willingness to learn from the experience of the 2024 law. He noted that 52 FIRs had been registered since the original Act came into force and that suicides linked to paper leaks had declined.
The passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha now paves the way for it to receive presidential assent and become law.
The debate in the Upper House witnessed sharp exchanges, with Opposition members criticising the National Testing Agency and demanding structural reforms.
At the same time, treasury benches highlighted the government's sensitivity towards students, the resignation of the former Education Minister, the constitution of a task force under Nandan Nilekani, and the swift cancellation and re-conduct of compromised examinations.
With the anti-paper leak Bill now cleared by both Houses, the government is expected to notify the amended provisions at the earliest. The ruling side is projecting the legislation as a comprehensive response to recurring examination malpractices.
At the same time, the Opposition continues to demand broader systemic reforms in the conduct of public examinations and greater accountability from the agencies involved.
— IANS
Reader Comments
About time! My cousin's exam was cancelled last year because of a leak—her hard work went to waste. This bill is necessary but I worry about implementation. Will designated courts actually function fast? Only time will tell. 🤞
Good move by the government, but let's not pretend this solves everything. The real issue is the exam system itself—too many exams, too much pressure. We need a single national exam for everything. Also, what about the coaching industry profiting from paper leaks?
Interesting to see India taking on exam fraud seriously. In the US, we have similar issues with standardized tests. The key will be enforcement—if the courts work fast and penalties are severe, this could be a model for other countries.
Respectfully, I think the opposition has a point. Yes, paper leaks are criminal, but the NTA's incompetence is equally damaging. We've seen exams cancelled, results delayed, and students' futures ruined. This bill doesn't address the root cause—why are these leaks happening in the first place? Need structural reforms too.
Great news! My younger brother is preparing for competitive exams and this gives some peace of mind. The resignation of the former Education Minister shows accountability. But Nandan Nilekani's task force needs to deliver concrete results—we can't keep relying on tech fixes alone.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.