Anti-paper leak Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha, debate begins

New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, aimed at strengthening measures against paper leaks, in the Rajya Sabha.

A discussion on the bill is currently underway in the Upper House and is expected to last approximately seven hours.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was participating in the debate on behalf of the party. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on Wednesday after a debate of approximately nine hours.

While introducing the bill, Jitendra Singh said the proposed amendments reflected the government’s willingness to “learn from experience” following the implementation of the 2024 anti-paper leak law.

He informed the House that 52 FIRs had been registered since the original law came into force. The minister also stated that suicides linked to paper leaks had declined after the enactment of the earlier legislation.

The bill seeks to further tighten provisions against the use of unfair means in public examinations.

The government has positioned the amendments as a response to practical challenges observed during the implementation of the 2024 law, with the aim of making the framework more effective.

Before the formal discussion progressed, Chairman Radhakrishnan referred to Rules 235 and 238 and urged members not to make “running commentary” during the proceedings.

He observed that the House had many elegant members and called for disciplined debate.

A brief exchange took place over the allocation of time for the Leader of Opposition. It was noted that the time allocated to the position was already occupied.

A request was made for special time to be given to the Leader of Opposition. The Chairman responded that if additional time was genuinely required, it would be allocated.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, observed that the Leader of Opposition and Leader of the House are always respected in such matters.

Following this, the Chairman called upon Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak on the Bill.

The discussion is expected to continue for several hours, with members from various parties set to present their views on the proposed amendments and the broader issue of examination integrity.

The introduction of the bill in the Rajya Sabha marks the next legislative stage after its passage in the Lok Sabha.

The government has maintained that the changes will help further curb paper leaks, while the detailed debate will allow the Opposition and other members to examine the provisions and their likely impact.

–IANS

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