New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday questioned the proposed amendments to the anti-paper leak law, saying despite an existing law, question paper leaks of public examinations have continued and it has proved to be a failure.
Initiating the debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026 in Lok Sabha, Deputy Leader of Congress in the House, Gaurav Gogoi, also said that students were compelled to hit the streets and their pain needs to be understood.
The government introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, days after student protests over the NEET fiasco led to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as education minister, to provide for stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a heftier fine of Rs 50 lakh for paper leaks.
Gogoi also slammed the government over the use of pellet guns and electric batons against the protesters and questioned the behaviour of police in demeaning the dignity of women.
Accusing the Centre of failing to address the concerns of students, he said merely enhancing punishments and penalties will not curb paper leaks unless the education system is comprehensively reformed.
The Congress MP said the proposed amendments are only a “cosmetic exercise” and reflects the government’s failure to bring genuine reforms in the education sector.
“This government is not serious about education. It does not want to bring real reforms. This is merely a showpiece amendment,” he said, recalling that when the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was enacted following the UGC-NET and NEET controversies, the government had described it as a “historic step” that would eliminate paper leaks.
“If that law was so effective, why has the government been forced to bring such major amendments within two years?” Gogoi asked. Questioning the implementation of the 2024 law, he referred to the NEET-UG paper leak case and claimed that 44 of the 45 accused have obtained bail.
“It is just an amendment bill… two years back the bill was introduced. It was brought in response to the 2024 NEET paper leak. Then also the government had said it was a historic step which will deter people from leaking paper. The 2026 leak proved that the law was a failure and it will fail again,” he said.
He also attacked BJP leaders for welcoming Pradhan when he came to Parliament after resigning as Union education minister.
“Same Dharmendra Pradhan was the education minister then (2024) and now ….when he came here, he was welcomed here as if he had come back after fighting with Pakistan. Do you have no shame?” Gogoi questioned.
He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is encouraging his cabinet colleagues to focus more on Instagram instead of comprehensive discussions on coaching centres, paper setters and printing press mafia.
“….he is talking about a high-powered committee, then what happened to the committee which was formed two years ago under former ISRO Chief K Radhakrishnan. The government wants to show it is very serious. It announced that 47 people were removed or transferred from the National Testing Agency.
” I want to know who are they… the sanctioned strength is 34. Who are these 47 people? We should know,” he said.
Referring to the nationwide protests by students over examination-related issues, Gogoi said youngsters demonstrated extraordinary courage by taking to the streets despite police action.
“No one comes out on the streets in the scorching sun and rain, sleeps on the roads, faces police batons and continues protesting without a reason. Such courage comes only from deep pain and anxiety about one’s future,” he said.
He said many students said they did not have the financial means to “buy leaked papers” and alleged that paper leak forced many aspirants to commit suicide.
He said young people from several states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi, had travelled to participate in protests despite heavy rain and police action.
“I salute the youth of India. They reminded us what democracy truly means. They reminded us that asking questions is the fundamental right of every citizen,” Gogoi said.
