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

New Delhi [India], July 29 (HBTV): 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 questioning whether he was ‘even aware of basic parliamentary norms’.

The Bill was debated for several hours, beginning at 2 pm on Tuesday, with the House sitting until 11 pm. The debate resumed 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 10 years, compared with 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 INR 10 lakh to INR 50 lakh.

For service providers found involved in offences, the Bill proposes to increase the maximum fine to INR 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 10 years, while enhancing the maximum fine from INR 1 crore to INR 10 crore.

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

In his reply, Jitendra Singh referred to the word used by Rahul Gandhi, over which there was prolonged furore in the Lok Sabha, and asked whether 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, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, over his remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah.

Jitendra Singh said there was no firing on protesters in Delhi and that any such orders were issued by the magistrate, not by a 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 the 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 behaviour 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. The 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 Speaker Om Birla to put the House in order. The Speaker said that the Leader of the Opposition was disobeying the Chair in his choice of words and the content of his allegations. (ANI)