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Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Opposition BJD on Friday, July 24, questioned the effectiveness of the proposed legislation to curb question paper leaks, saying that merely enacting a law would not be sufficient unless it is implemented firmly and effectively.

BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty, a former president of the Utkal University Students’ Union, said this after the Union Cabinet approved a draft bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, including a fine of up to Rs 10 crore, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement to this effect.

The bill will amend ‘The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024’, proposing a minimum punishment of five years’ imprisonment for individuals involved in paper leaks and/or a fine.

“As the movement launched by students over the NEET-UG question paper leak has impacted the entire country, the central government in its Cabinet meeting approved new stringent provisions to curb the illegal practice. However, unless action is taken against the guilty, the newly introduced law will remain only on paper,” Mohanty said.

“The BJD, which is supporting the agitation in Delhi and strongly protested the assault on students, questioned the effectiveness of the implementation of these amendments,” he said.

Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, Mohanty claimed that more than 150 question paper leak incidents have occurred across the country in the last 12 years, triggering widespread protests and movements.

Stating that merely passing a law would not resolve the crisis, Mohanty said it was essential to ensure strict, impartial and effective implementation of the law to prevent such incidents and punish those responsible.

He said the state government had also passed the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, in the state Assembly on December 6, 2024.

However, despite 23 question paper leak incidents allegedly surfacing in the last two years under the BJP government, not a single accused has been punished so far, he claimed.

Mohanty said this clearly demonstrates that merely enacting stringent laws is not sufficient.

“The only permanent solution to the serious problem of question paper leaks is to ensure the sincere and effective implementation of the law, along with swift and exemplary punishment against those found guilty,” the BJD leader said.