India’s government proposed on Tuesday longer jail terms and heftier fines for examination paper leaks, seeking to restore confidence after protests focused on education reforms rocked the country.
Under the proposed legal change submitted to parliament, the maximum prison term for those involved in paper leaks would be doubled to 10 years, while fines could exceed $1 million and court proceedings would be fast-tracked.
The legislative push follows weeks of protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, which culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week.
The protests, spearheaded by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, drew massive support from students across the country and presented a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The proposed amendments reaffirm “this government’s deep commitment to safeguard the welfare of the students and the youth of this country”, senior minister Jitendra Singh told the lower house of parliament.
The changes seek to make the legislation “more stringent and to ensure speedy justice”, Singh said, “so that the credibility of all these exams gets enhanced and gets reinstated”.
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