Opposition Calls Government Education Reforms ‘Cosmetic’ in Parliament Debate

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a heated debate over the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, with opposition leaders accusing the government of failing to address systemic issues in the education sector. Initiating the debate, Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi said students were compelled to protest due to the Centre's lack of seriousness about education.

Gogoi argued that the existing law has failed to prevent question paper leaks, and the proposed amendments are merely a “cosmetic exercise” that do not bring genuine reforms. He criticized the government's use of pellet guns and electric batons against protesters, especially women participants, and lauded the youth for reminding the nation of democratic values.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the National Testing Agency's (NTA) track record: out of 14 major examinations, six faced allegations of paper leaks, and 15 exams were postponed in seven years. Tharoor noted that only 24 permanent staff manage examinations affecting crores of students, calling the arrangement “fundamentally wrong.”

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the government bowed to youth power, leading to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He compared the crackdown on protesters to the Emergency era, adding that “current” was used against students. In response to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Akhilesh said regime change would follow, as occurred after the Emergency.

Samajwadi MP Dimple Yadav accused the government of violating Mahatma Gandhi's principles by using force on peaceful NEET protestors. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee extended his party's support to the bill but stated it cannot erase the humiliation faced by students who were met with barricades and pellet guns.

The bill aims to curb unfair means in public examinations, but opposition leaders insist that without comprehensive reforms, the legislation remains insufficient.