Top News

With the government preparing to bring a new legislation against examination paper leaks in Parliament, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday said the proposed law will focus on ensuring faster disposal of such cases and stronger accountability for those involved.

Speaking about the proposed framework, Meghwal said the Centre's proposed legislation to tackle examination paper leaks will include provisions for fast-track courts, day-to-day hearings, and time-bound investigations.

The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a Bill containing provisions for stringent action against paper leaks would be introduced during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament next week.

Meghwal said the government's decision to route pending paper leak cases through specially designated fast-track courts would ensure quicker trials and timely justice for students affected by such incidents.

"The decision taken by the Prime Minister yesterday that cases related to paper leaks pending in courts will be heard in specially designated fast-track courts is a significant one. This will involve day-to-day hearings, speedy trials, and time-bound investigations, which will provide justice to the youth. This is a major decision. In the same process, discussions continued all day yesterday," he said.

What The Draft Anti-Paper Leak Law Proposes

According to Meghwal, the proposed legal framework will focus on speeding up the judicial process in paper leak cases by:

Fast-track courts: Cases related to paper leaks pending before courts will be heard through specially designated fast-track courts.

Day-to-day hearings: Proceedings will be conducted on a daily basis to avoid delays.

Time-bound investigations: Investigations into alleged paper leak cases will be completed within a fixed timeframe.

Speedy trials: The measures aim to ensure quicker delivery of justice to affected students.

The draft law is expected to be discussed by the Union Cabinet before being introduced in Parliament during the Monsoon Session. A cabinet meeting is scheduled for 1 PM today, ANI reported.

Government Says Dialogue Continues With Wangchuk

Meghwal also spoke about climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ending his 26-day hunger strike, saying the government had remained engaged with him and that further discussions were expected.

"Sonam Wangchuk also ended his hunger strike. The government is consistently sensitive and engaging in dialogue; there are signs of further dialogue today as well," he said.

Meghwal Urges Opposition to Allow Parliament to Function

The Law Minister appealed to Opposition parties to allow parliamentary proceedings to continue, saying several important Bills were scheduled to be discussed during the session.

Responding to demands for a discussion on paper leaks, Meghwal said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had already made it clear that the government was ready for a debate.

"We would again request the opposition to allow the parliamentary proceedings to continue so that important bills can be discussed. If you want a discussion on paper leaks first, our Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Kiren Rijiju, has already said that we can discuss paper leaks first," he said.

He also criticised the Opposition for insisting on specific parliamentary procedures before allowing the discussion, referring to their demand for a debate under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha.

"Now, they are referring to rules, saying "do it on 267" in the Rajya Sabha, and they are stuck on "56" here. It's a matter of discussion, so why are conditions being imposed? Discuss it, and do it in totality. How many states had paper leaks, what actions were taken, who were involved--discuss all of this. It will come before the country, and that's what the government wants," he said.

(With inputs from news agency ANI)