# India passes law doubling prison for exam leaks after protests 2026-08-21T05:45:42+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet (2 source reports) India's upper house of parliament has passed a bill doubling the maximum prison sentence for exam paper leaks to 10 years and raising the maximum fine to over Rs 8 crore. The legislation, which cleared the lower house a day earlier, was approved by voice vote after hours of debate. The bill now requires presidential assent to become law. The new penalties come after weeks of youth-led protests spearheaded by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, which forced Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. Demonstrations turned violent on July 20 when police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters trying to march to parliament. Rights groups have condemned the government's use of force. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to set up fast-track courts for paper leak cases and offered compensation for families of over 20 students who died by suicide after exam cancellations. The CJP has said protests will continue until Pradhan is removed. Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike after government assurances. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources frame the protests and government response similarly, but Al Jazeera's reporting emphasises the scale and defiance of the Cockroach Janta Party movement, noting its evolution from satire to a national platform. The coverage highlights rights groups' criticism of police action, while Modi's promise of fast-track courts is presented as a response to sustained agitation. The measured takeaway is that the new law addresses punishment but protesters continue to demand systemic reforms and accountability, with the resignation demand unresolved. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral - aljazeera.com (government critical) Foregrounds protest violence, police force, and recurring exam leaks despite government action - aljazeera.com (2) (neutral report) Presents both government promises and activist demands without taking sides This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-21T18:06:09+00:00. Tags: Cockroach Janta Party, Dharmendra Pradhan, Narendra Modi, National Testing Agency, NEET, Rajya Sabha Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-passes-bill-doubling-jail-term-for-exam-paper-leaks/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-passes-bill-doubling-jail-term-for-exam-paper-leaks/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/