Rajya Sabha to Take Up Anti-Paper Leak Bill Today
The discussion is expected to begin at 2 pm and continue for nearly seven hours
New Delhi: The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, a day after it was passed by the Lok Sabha following a marathon debate over paper leaks and police action against student protesters.
The discussion is expected to begin at 2 pm and continue for nearly seven hours. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Mukul Wasnik are among the Opposition members expected to participate.
Ahead of the debate, Kharge criticised the Centre over the police action during the July 20 student protests, backing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's demand that Union Home Minister Amit Shah explain his role.
In a post on X, Kharge alleged that the use of pellet guns against protesting students reflected the irresponsibility of either the Home Minister or the Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi had earlier accused Amit Shah of being either "culpable or incompetent" over the incident.
The Bill seeks to strengthen laws against examination-related malpractices by increasing penalties. It proposes jail terms of five to ten years and raises the maximum fine for individuals from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
For organised examination-related crimes, the Bill proposes imprisonment of seven to ten years and increases the maximum fine from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore. It also provides for a Special Task Force to investigate paper leaks, mandates investigations within two months, and sets up Special Fast Track Courts to complete trials within three months of filing the charge sheet.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on Wednesday, with Union Minister Jitendra Singh describing it as a major step to curb paper leaks. Opposition members argued that it focuses more on harsher punishment than addressing systemic flaws in the examination process.
The Rajya Sabha is also scheduled to consider the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with other listed parliamentary business.