'Now we have a solution...': Raghav Chadha on his 'silence' over exam paper leaks
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New Delhi, July 30 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Thursday extended strong support to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, asserting that the demands of students were justified and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had responded not merely as the head of government but as a guardian of the youth.
Addressing his earlier silence on the issue, Chadha clarified that while he had once been on the Opposition benches, his current position on the Treasury benches made him more responsible to fix the system through concrete solutions.
During the debate, the Rajya Sabha MP stressed that whenever matters concerning students arose, the Union government had listened, acted, and delivered.
He highlighted initiatives aimed at eliminating paper leaks, including the move towards computerised examinations.
The Bill, he noted, prescribes stricter punishments to deter organised syndicates from attempting leaks.
"Paper leaks cannot be addressed through media sound-bites but require institutional solutions. We cannot treat cancer with crocin; exam leaks cannot be removed with sound-bites," he said, adding that students' anger was justified.
Chadha painted a vivid picture of the sacrifices made by families, who cut household budgets and take loans to send children to hubs like Kota, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Delhi, or Patna, where students study up to 18 hours a day.
A single leaked paper, he warned, could destroy years of effort, eroding trust, mental health, and aspirations.
Recalling his own experience as a Chartered Accountancy student, he said he understood the pain first hand.
He also pointed to past leaks under Congress governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, citing the SSLC exam leak in January 2026 and the Class 12 Chemistry paper leak in 2016.
He stressed that student protests must remain independent and not be politicised.
"Their voice matters. Their demands are justified. Protesting, asking questions, raising demands, coming out, and taking out peaceful marches are all their constitutional rights. But a student protest should remain a student protest; it should not become a rally of any political party," he said, also attacking the Punjab government over exam-cheating incidents.
Chadha underlined that the Bill recognises paper leaks as offences committed by organised syndicates rather than isolated individuals. It covers insiders, coaching mafias, logistics handlers, printing-press personnel, solver gangs, and exam officials.
Fines of up to Rs 10 crore can be imposed, and all offences have been made cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
Any suspicion of a leak will trigger investigation by a special task force, which must conclude within two months.
Fast-track courts with special prosecutors will ensure sentencing within three months.
Concluding his statement, Chadha said these systemic reforms demonstrate zero tolerance towards paper leaks and safeguard the integrity of India's public examination system.
"Nothing is more important than the students and their future. Their voices mattered, their voices were heard, and systemic changes have been brought about. The government has treated their concerns with the same care one would accord to a child within one's own family," he affirmed.
Addressing his earlier silence on the issue, Chadha clarified that while he had once been on the Opposition benches, his current position on the Treasury benches made him more responsible to fix the system through concrete solutions.
During the debate, the Rajya Sabha MP stressed that whenever matters concerning students arose, the Union government had listened, acted, and delivered.
He highlighted initiatives aimed at eliminating paper leaks, including the move towards computerised examinations.
The Bill, he noted, prescribes stricter punishments to deter organised syndicates from attempting leaks.
"Paper leaks cannot be addressed through media sound-bites but require institutional solutions. We cannot treat cancer with crocin; exam leaks cannot be removed with sound-bites," he said, adding that students' anger was justified.
Chadha painted a vivid picture of the sacrifices made by families, who cut household budgets and take loans to send children to hubs like Kota, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Delhi, or Patna, where students study up to 18 hours a day.
A single leaked paper, he warned, could destroy years of effort, eroding trust, mental health, and aspirations.
Recalling his own experience as a Chartered Accountancy student, he said he understood the pain first hand.
He also pointed to past leaks under Congress governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, citing the SSLC exam leak in January 2026 and the Class 12 Chemistry paper leak in 2016.
He stressed that student protests must remain independent and not be politicised.
"Their voice matters. Their demands are justified. Protesting, asking questions, raising demands, coming out, and taking out peaceful marches are all their constitutional rights. But a student protest should remain a student protest; it should not become a rally of any political party," he said, also attacking the Punjab government over exam-cheating incidents.
Chadha underlined that the Bill recognises paper leaks as offences committed by organised syndicates rather than isolated individuals. It covers insiders, coaching mafias, logistics handlers, printing-press personnel, solver gangs, and exam officials.
Fines of up to Rs 10 crore can be imposed, and all offences have been made cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
Any suspicion of a leak will trigger investigation by a special task force, which must conclude within two months.
Fast-track courts with special prosecutors will ensure sentencing within three months.
Concluding his statement, Chadha said these systemic reforms demonstrate zero tolerance towards paper leaks and safeguard the integrity of India's public examination system.
"Nothing is more important than the students and their future. Their voices mattered, their voices were heard, and systemic changes have been brought about. The government has treated their concerns with the same care one would accord to a child within one's own family," he affirmed.
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Note: The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the ap7am team.