New Delhi, July 29: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday criticised the BJP-led Central government over the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, describing it as "not even a band-aid" when India's education system requires "surgery."

Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that the government had failed to tackle the root causes of recurring examination paper leaks. His remarks came after the Lok Sabha passed the amendment bill following an extended debate marked by heated exchanges.

Responding to a question on the legislation, Gandhi dismissed the bill as inadequate, arguing that it focuses only on harsher penalties rather than preventing paper leaks.

"The students are saying the education system has failed them. Papers are leaked, they face immense hardship, and education has become too expensive. The government's response is to increase the punishment from one year to ten years. What difference does that make?" he asked.

He claimed that no one had been convicted in paper leak cases so far and argued that merely increasing the punishment amounted to accepting that such incidents would continue.

"The bill accepts that paper leaks will happen. We don't accept paper leaks. The system must be changed so that such incidents do not occur," Gandhi said.

The Congress MP also alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had undue influence over educational institutions and called for changes in university leadership. "This bill is not even a band-aid when the education system needs surgery," he remarked.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said the Prime Minister's image among young people had suffered due to issues such as unemployment, paper leaks and the state of the economy.

"The problem is not communication. The problem is what has happened to students, their future, and the economy. That image is gone, and the field is open for us," he said, while praising students for raising their voices.

Gandhi also repeated allegations he had made earlier against Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the police action against protesting students. He claimed he had seen Shah speaking to police officials during the protests and questioned whether the Home Minister had authorised the action or was unaware of it.

He asserted that, in either case, accountability must be fixed and promised that students who faced police action would eventually receive justice. He said the Congress would continue to pursue accountability for those responsible for the alleged use of force against protesting students.