Opposition Displaying Selective Outrage over Exam Paper Leaks: Bansuri Swaraj
She also cited recruitment examination controversies in Rajasthan under the Congress, the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal under the TMC, alleged irregularities in police recruitment in Uttar Pradesh under the Samajwadi Party, examination leaks in Telangana under the BRS, and the pharmacy officer recruitment examination in Punjab this year
By : PTI
Update: 2026-07-28 11:40 GMT
New Delhi: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on Tuesday accused the Opposition of displaying "selective outrage" over examination paper leaks, saying such incidents also happened during the Congress-led UPA regime and asserted that the Modi government had undertaken structural reforms to strengthen the examination system.
Participating in the debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday, Swaraj said the proposed legislation aimed at ensuring faster prosecution and stricter punishment for offenders.
"It's a transformative amendment. It's not just necessary but the need of the hour. It shows the responsible approach of the Modi government," she said.
Swaraj alleged that the Opposition was trying to create a narrative that paper leaks started happening only after 2014, when the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre.
"This is not about whataboutery but about calling out the Opposition's selective outrage. Principles cannot change depending on which government is in power," she said.
Citing media reports, she claimed there were 22 paper leaks between 2004 and 2014 at the Centre and in states ruled by the Congress and its allies, of which "six were under the purview of the UPA government at the Centre".
She referred to alleged irregularities in the AIIMS PG examination in 2006, CLAT in 2009, Railway Recruitment Board examination in 2009, AIEEE in 2011 and SSC-CGL in 2013.
She also cited recruitment examination controversies in Rajasthan under the Congress, the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal under the TMC, alleged irregularities in police recruitment in Uttar Pradesh under the Samajwadi Party, examination leaks in Telangana under the BRS, and the pharmacy officer recruitment examination in Punjab this year.
Swaraj said the Modi government had responded by introducing systemic reforms. She said the long-pending demand for a single testing agency was met with the establishment of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in 2017 and added that the government had expanded higher education infrastructure by increasing the number of IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and universities.
"Where Congress created a policy vacuum, Modi clocked it, if I may borrow the language of Gen Z, and created a solution. All the Opposition did was chase political opportunism," said Swaraj, the daughter of the late BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj and a first-time MP representing New Delhi parliamentary constituency.
Describing public examinations as "the most meritocratic ritual", Swaraj said paper leaks undermined the principle that merit should be determined solely by effort. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks describing paper leaks as a "sin", she said it reflected the government's resolve to address the issue.
She said the amendment bill recognised the emergence of organised inter-state examination mafias and sought to strengthen the legal framework to deal with crimes spanning multiple jurisdictions.
The proposed law provides for fast-track courts and special public prosecutors to ensure speedy trials while also prescribing stricter punishment, she said.
"This amendment protects merit, preserves fairness and safeguards the dreams of India's youth. It reinforces accountability across the examination ecosystem. This reform is not in isolation," Swaraj said, adding that the Modi government was "running a reform express".