The Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Thursday.The debate on the anti-paper leak Bill in the Rajya Sabha also saw fiery exchanges between the BJP leaders and the Opposition after Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the House Mallikarjun Kharge invoked the Manusmriti, triggering protests from the BJP.Kharge’s references to Manusmriti were expunged; while Leader of the House JP Nadda said that Kharge’s references could ‘disrupt peace in society.’ “I request Kharge to authenticate his remarks with original text,” Nadda said.Kharge also said that the amendment only talks about increasing the quantum of punishment, but does not elaborate on ways about stopping paper leaks.“Provisions have been made for hefty fines, strict punishment, special task force, fast track courts, but nothing is going to change. Real change will only happen through changes in how you conduct examinations. There is nothing new in the Bill. We had demanded a strict law in 2024 itself, but our demand was rejected,” Kharge said.He noted that the government spending on education had declined to around three per cent of the GDP against the six per cent recommended by the Kothari Commission.Kharge also alleged that educational institutions were increasingly being staffed with people linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, including appointments of vice-chancellors, and warned this was adversely affecting higher education and the country’s knowledge ecosystem.Kharge demanded a legally mandated annual examination calendar, a Supreme Court-monitored probe into police excesses against students, and the time-bound filling of government vacancies. He also said Home Minister Amit Shah should take responsibility for the police brutality against student protesters and resign from his post.Questioning the Centre over the use of force against students in Delhi, Kharge asked who authorised the use of lathis, tear gas and pellet guns against peaceful protesters and who were the personnel in plain clothes involved in the action.He noted that over 100 students were injured, with one student on a ventilator and another facing the risk of losing eyesight. He also referred to firing on students with an AK-47 gun in Bihar.Certain opposition parties also staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha ahead of the anti-paper leak law passage.Nadda said that the Opposition has become issue-less. “This is highly irresponsible. That is why I say they have no interest in the discussion. They have no respect for democracy, Parliament or parliamentary proceedings,” he said.Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who initiated the debate in the Upper House, said the government has brought the Bill with humility. He said that the government had tried to make medical education more accessible and disassociate it from management quota.In the recent NEET (UG) paper leak case, the case was immediately handed over to the CBI. “The day before yesterday, the chargesheet was filed, and I am glad to share that the trial has begun. Under this new law, the investigation must be completed within two months, followed by the trial within three months … We did not allow trials to continue indefinitely, as used to happen under earlier governments,” he said.