- Lok Sabha was adjourned over demands related to police action during protests on 20 July.
- Union Minister Jitendra Singh moved the Public Examinations Amendment Bill for consideration after a six-day logjam in the Monsoon Session.
- Gaurav Gogoi criticized the Bill as a 'showpiece' during the debate, questioning its effectiveness.
- The amendment proposes to raise imprisonment for using unfair means from three-to-five years to five-to-ten years, and the fine from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
- For service providers leaking papers for a fee, the amendment raises the fine from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore and extends the bar on conducting examinations from four years to eight.
- In cases involving an organised gang, the amendment proposes to raise imprisonment to seven-to-ten years and the fine to ₹10 crore.
- Gogoi questioned the effectiveness of the law, citing numerous paper leaks in 2025 despite the law's expected enforcement in 2024.
- Out of the 45 people charge-sheeted in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, 44 have already been granted bail.
- Gogoi expressed concerns over the previous minister's tenure, stating that 21 students died by suicide during it.
- Gogoi criticized Prime Minister Modi for focusing on social media instead of addressing serious issues like paper leaks.
India's Lok Sabha is currently considering the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, which seeks to enhance penalties for cheating in public examinations. The bill proposes to increase imprisonment for offenders from three-to-five years to five-to-ten years and raise fines significantly, from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.1245
During the discussions, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized the government's handling of police actions during a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on July 20, where excessive force was reportedly used against demonstrators, including women. He questioned, 'who ordered you to use pellet guns, tear gas, to hit not on legs but head?'379
Gogoi also expressed skepticism about the bill's effectiveness, labeling it a 'showpiece Bill' and highlighting ongoing issues in the education sector, including a troubling statistic that 21 students died by suicide during the tenure of the previous education minister, Pradhan. He noted that despite the serious nature of these issues, the Prime Minister seemed more focused on social media than on addressing systemic problems, stating, 'Instead of discussing paper leaks and solver gang in Cabinet meeting, PM Modi said 'focus more on Instagram'.10
The amendment also targets service providers involved in leaking exam papers, proposing to increase fines from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore and extending the ban on conducting examinations from four years to eight years. This legislative move comes after a six-day logjam in Parliament, where both Houses were adjourned over demands related to the bill.
“The amendment proposes significant penalties for exam-related fraud, increasing imprisonment from three-to-five years to five-to-ten years and fines from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh. Gogoi highlighted ongoing issues, noting that 44 out of 45 charged in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case have been granted bail, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the current law.”
