Government pushes key legislative agenda as House likely to vote on anti-paper leak law after nearly nine hours of debate

The Lok Sabha is set to continue discussions on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for a second consecutive day, with the government expected to seek its passage after an extended debate that lasted nearly nine hours on Tuesday.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh will move the motion for consideration and passage of the Bill, which seeks to strengthen legal provisions against paper leaks and examination-related malpractice. The proposed legislation amends the 2024 law, with the Centre stating that stricter provisions are necessary to restore public confidence in the country's examination system.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to address the Lok Sabha on the Bill at around 12:30 pm, with the debate likely to witness another round of sharp exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches over examination reforms and accountability.

Several key Bills on House agenda

Apart from the anti-paper leak legislation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to introduce the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will also introduce a Bill proposing an increase in the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court. The House is additionally expected to table several ministry-related reports and statements on parliamentary committee recommendations.

If passed in the Lok Sabha, the anti-paper leak Bill is likely to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha later this week.

Opposition finalises strategy

Ahead of Wednesday's proceedings, leaders of the INDIA bloc met under the leadership of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to coordinate their floor strategy.

Congress leaders raised multiple issues, including electoral reforms, the anti-defection law, alleged financial irregularities in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust, and the Cauvery water dispute. The Opposition is also expected to question the government over repeated examination irregularities and the effectiveness of the existing legal framework.

Debate over effectiveness of previous law

The Opposition has argued that repeated paper leak incidents exposed weaknesses in the current system despite the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav questioned the government's record, alleging that several paper leak cases occurred under the BJP-led administration and demanding details of arrests and prosecutions under the existing law.

The government, however, maintains that the amendment is intended to further tighten enforcement and close loopholes identified after recent examination controversies.

Background: NEET controversy prompted reforms

The push for stronger legislation follows the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, which led to nationwide protests and widespread criticism of the examination process.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the original examination and conducted a re-test following allegations of a question paper leak. The controversy triggered demonstrations by students across several states and intensified demands for stricter safeguards against organised examination fraud.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the case. According to official information shared in Parliament, 13 people have been arrested so far, and the agency is expected to file its chargesheet shortly.

The proposed amendment seeks to strengthen legal provisions to deter organised paper leak networks, safeguard competitive examinations, and improve transparency and accountability in the examination system.