Strong anti-paper leak bill passed, won't spare mafia playing with future of children: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said it had become necessary to bring comprehensive reforms to the education system to tackle the menace of paper leaks and asserted that there would be no mercy for those playing with the future of children.
In a late evening video message on Instagram shortly after Parliament passed a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law to introduce stricter punishments, Modi said the it was part of the government's efforts to tackle the menace that has threatened the future of children and posed a challenge for the Centre as well as several states.
This was the third video message posted by Modi on his Instagram handle in the last week.
"The Centre and many states have been facing the paper leak problem for several years," he said, adding that the menace has threatened the future of children appearing in various examinations.
"Therefore, it had become necessary to bring comprehensive changes to the education system to deal with the problem," he added.
The prime minister said the government has been continuously working to establish a robust examination system, which also requires extensive use of technology.
"A task force has been constituted, fast-track courts are being set up, and we are seeking suggestions from states to strengthen the examination process and prevent irregularities," he said.
Referring to the anti-paper leak bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Modi said that as promised, a strong law was now in place to tackle the issue.
"We will not spare the paper leak gangs, paper leak mafia and those playing with the future of children," the prime minister said.
The prime minister said with the passage of the bill, the government has completed the exercise of establishing a trusted examination system.
He also said the government was committed to ensuring that students get a fair opportunity.
"Paper leak incidents will not be allowed to continue unchecked. Our campaign against this menace will continue in future too. With this faith, let's all join hands to fulfil the dream of a developed India," Modi said.
Parliament on Thursday passed The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, with the government expressing its commitment to go the extra mile to safeguard the interests of students, who are the country's future.
The legislation provides for stricter punishment, up to 10 years in jail and a heftier fine of Rs 50 lakh, for paper leaks.
The bill was brought as a response by the government to the students' protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar here, which started on June 20 and culminated after 36 days on July 25 following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union education minister and acceptance of other demands by the government.
The agitation had galvanised thousands of students in protests across the country and has been supported by major opposition parties.
The discontent spilt over into a massive march to Parliament on July 20, which witnessed a strong police response involving lathicharge and the use of tear gas.
After three rounds of talks, the CJP and the government reached an agreement on July 25 under which the government accepted its demands, following which the stir was called off.
