India Passes Stricter Anti-Paper Leak Law Following Nationwide Student Protests and Political Clash

The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, following nationwide student protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. The legislation increases penalties for those involved in paper leaks, raising imprisonment from three to five years to a range of five to ten years, and increasing fines from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. For organized offenses, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and fines up to Rs 10 crore. It also mandates that investigations be completed within two months and requires the establishment of special fast-track courts.

The legislative action follows an agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began on June 6 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The movement demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned on July 25. While NDA ally Sikkim Krantikari Morcha leader Indra Hang Subba described the protests as a "wake-up call" to strengthen the examination system, other political figures focused on a police crackdown that occurred during a march to Parliament on July 20.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded the sacking of Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging he was either "culpable or incompetent" regarding the use of force against students. Gandhi claims that pellet guns and lathis with nails were used during the July 20 crackdown. The government has disputed these claims; Minister of State Jitendra Singh stated that no bullets ("goli") were fired and only tear gas was used. However, reports indicate that Delhi Police's general daily diary entries confirmed two rounds of pellet firing, and some medical evidence suggests victims sustained pellet injuries.

Additional fallout from the protests includes legal actions in other states. In Kerala, an FIR was filed against RSS member TG Mohandas after he claimed in a video that he would have shot protesters if he were in charge of law and order. Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke's father alleged his son received threats to join the BJP or face consequences. In Bihar, a man named Muhammad Sadaqat claims he was wrongly booked for protesting while he had been in Russia for four months.

Outlets with a left lean frame the event as a narrative of state brutality and systemic failure, emphasizing the demand for accountability from the Home Minister. Outlets with a center-right lean focus more on the government's legislative response to combat examination fraud and the denial of lethal force, while reporting on specific anomalies in police bookings. Center-leaning coverage balances the political accusations against the technical details of the new law.