Govt to push anti-paper leak Bill even without debate if Opposition refuses discussion: Rijiju

The government on Monday said it would go ahead with the passage of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 even if the Opposition refuses to participate in a discussion, as it prepares for an eight-hour debate on the legislation in the Lok Sabha.

"If the Opposition parties do not want to discuss the Examination Reforms Bill, the government will get the Bill passed without discussion," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in the House.

Following his remarks, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said all political parties should hold consultations so that the discussion on the Bill could begin at 5 pm.


Also Read: Govt introduces anti-paper leak Bill in Lok Sabha amid Opposition protests

The BJP-led NDA has submitted to the Speaker a list of leaders who will participate in the debate. Around 12 alliance MPs, including Bansuri Swaraj, Tejasvi Surya, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Anurag Thakur, Shrikant Shinde, Arun Bharti, Alok Suman, Anupriya Patel and Sayali Ghosh, are expected to speak on the legislation.

The Bill, introduced earlier by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, seeks to strengthen the legal framework against examination fraud through tougher penalties, time-bound investigations and dedicated fast-track courts.

The Congress and other Opposition parties, however, have opposed taking up the legislation for immediate discussion, demanding that it first be referred to either a Parliamentary Standing Committee or a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny.

The Congress has also insisted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah first make a statement in the Lok Sabha on the alleged assault on students during the NEET paper leak protests before any discussion on the Bill takes place.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, "It is the stand of the Congress party, and Rahul Gandhi has reiterated this several times, that the PM and the government should apologise for the way students were treated. There is a lot of anger among the people. Tragically, the double-engine government is bent on suppressing students. How did they (Police) even have the courage to fire at the students?"

Also Read: Anti-paper leak Bill proposes tougher action against exam centres, agencies & institutions

Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference, Rijiju urged the Opposition to participate in what he described as a crucial debate on examination reforms.

"Today, in light of the concerns raised by students across the country, a crucial bill is being introduced in the Lok Sabha to address issues such as paper leaks. However, the Congress party and some Opposition members are refusing to discuss it; instead, they are creating a disturbance," he said.

Appealing for a constructive debate, the minister referred to the Centre's broader reform measures announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I wish to appeal to them to consider the significant decision taken by the Prime Minister today. Measures have been announced to reform the examination system, a task force has been constituted, and a revolutionary bill has been introduced to reform the examination system and ensure that no leaks occur in the future," Rijiju said.

He added that the proposed law contains stringent provisions to deter examination fraud.

"Provisions have been made to impose severe and time-bound punishment on anyone found involved in a paper leak. If a discussion is not allowed even after all these measures, it will send the wrong message," he said.

(With ANI inputs)