Lok Sabha passes Public Examination Amendment Bill after marathon debate, sharp exchanges

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 after a brief reply by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who took several digs at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he had used unparliamentary language and if he “is even aware of basic parliamentary norms”.

The Bill saw a marathon debate started at 2 pm on Tuesday and the House sat till 11 pm. It resumed debate on Wednesday. The Bill proposes to enhance the punishment for persons resorting to unfair means by increasing the term of imprisonment to not less than five years, extendable up to ten years, as against the existing provision of imprisonment for a term of not less than three years, extendable up to five years. The maximum fine is also proposed to be enhanced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

For service providers found involved in offences, the Bill proposes to increase the maximum fine to Rs 5 crore and extend the period of debarment from conducting any public examination from four years to eight years.

For organised examination-related crimes, the Amendment Bill proposes to increase the minimum term of imprisonment from five years to seven years, extendable up to ten years, while enhancing the maximum fine from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore.

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The Bill also empowers the Centre to constitute a Special Task Force for probing the paper leak and examination-related offences and also proposes a new Section 12A providing for completion of investigation within two months, designation of Courts of Session as Special Fast Track Courts for day-to-day trial of offences under the Act, completion of trial within three months from the date of filing of the charge sheet, and appointment of Special Public Prosecutors for every Special Fast Track Court.

In his reply, Jitendra Singh used the word spoken by Rahul Gandhi, over which there was prolonged furore in the Lok Sabha, and asked if he had used the expression for the youth of the country.

“When such an important bill is being discussed, instead of offering suggestions, politics is being played over it. The unparliamentary language used by the Leader of the Opposition is shocking; it makes me wonder if he is even aware of basic parliamentary norms… What could be more unfortunate than calling the youth of this country — who are its future —”idiots”? he said.

BJP members had earlier sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, over his remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah.

Jitendra Singh there was no firing on protestors in Delhi and any such orders are given by the Magistrate not by any minister. “It was repeatedly clarified that no shots were fired; tear gas was used. Since no shots were fired, the question of issuing an order does not arise. The authority to issue such an order rests with the magistrate, not the minister,” he said.

Jitendra Singh also took digs at Rahul Gandhi over Congress protest outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He alleged that Rahul Gandhi was “disappointed and frustrated” at not becoming Prime Minister and went and sat at the gates of 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

“On July 21, the Leader of the Opposition–perhaps driven by some specific thought–went and sat outside 7 LKM, the Prime Minister’s residence. It seemed likely that he had a deep desire for the nation to elect him and make him sit at 7 LKM. When that aspiration remained unfulfilled, he was disappointed and frustrated, and went and sat at the gates of 7 LKM. When an attempt was made to explain to him–with great courtesy–that such behavior did not befit his stature, he responded by saying that he should simply be removed,” the Minister said.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the country’s education system had been captured by the RSS and accused the government of denying students the freedom to think independently. “Our system is terrible, it’s cruel… Everything is being privatised… It is an extortion system, it is a brutal, terrible system. The soul of the system has been captured by the RSS,” Gandhi said.

Referring to the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Gandhi said, “Rajnath Singh said that we are not the UPA, our ministers never resign. He is right. Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is superficial because Dharmendra Pradhan never ran the Education Ministry. The organisation that runs the Education Ministry is called the RSS. The man who runs it is an OSD sitting in the Minister’s office.”

He further alleged that students were being prevented from pursuing their interests and questioning the system. “So, what the students are really irritated about is that they are not allowed to be students in India, not allowed to follow their passion, not allowed to say what they want, they are not allowed to ask the questions that they want. They have to buy this nonsensical history that the RSS fantasises about… Dharmendra Pradhan is a symbol, the real enemy is the RSS… They are the people who want you to be ‘Andhbhakts’,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi described the nationwide student protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak as “not anger” or “violence” but a peaceful expression of the aspirations of India’s youth, urging all political parties, including the BJP, to respect the voices of students.

The debate saw exchanges between Gandhi and Treasury bench members, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objecting to an expression used by Gandhi. Gandhi urged the Speaker Om Birla to put the House in order. The Speaker said that the Leader of Opposition was disobeying the Chair in his choice of words and content of his allegations. (ANI)