Parliament Introduces Bill to Amend Public Examinations Act

The Parliament Monsoon Session resumed on Monday with the Centre introducing a Bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The Bill, tabled by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, seeks to increase the maximum punishment for paper leak-related offences to 10 years' imprisonment and raise the maximum fine to Rs 10 crore.

The introduction of the Bill comes after a week of deadlock in the Parliament over the NEET paper leak controversy. The opposition had been demanding the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the police action against students in Bihar and West Bengal, who were protesting against the paper leak.

Gandhi stated that registering FIRs against students was unacceptable and that the use of force against protesters was unwarranted. She emphasized that students are not terrorists and have the right to peaceful protest.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a high-powered task force to recommend reforms in India's examination system. The task force, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, aims to make the system more reliable, transparent, and technology-driven.

The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, also heard pleas regarding the police action at Jantar Mantar and observed that the right to peaceful protest is constitutionally protected.

The Monsoon Session is expected to continue with discussions on various Bills, including the one introduced on Monday.

The introduction of the Bill and the task force are seen as efforts by the government to address the concerns surrounding the paper leak controversy and to prevent such incidents in the future.

The opposition, however, continues to demand action against those responsible for the paper leak and is likely to raise the issue in the Parliament again.