The Punjab Legislative Assembly on Monday, 3 August passed a censure motion against repeated examination paper leaks across the country, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann squarely blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union Government for failing to protect the aspirations of millions of students. The motion was passed by a voice vote and will be formally forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office, the Union Ministry of Education, and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

What the Motion Demands

The censure motion calls on the Centre to take stringent measures to prevent paper leaks and restore credibility to India's examination system. The state government has framed the move as a direct expression of solidarity with young Indians — particularly those preparing for competitive examinations — who, according to Mann, have been let down by systemic failure at the national level.

What Chief Minister Mann Said

Winding up the debate in the House, CM Bhagwant Mann said: Those who have been claiming to make the country a Vishwaguru have made a mockery of the education system by failing to check the repeated paper leaks across the country. Paper leaks, or in other words the selling of examination papers, shatter the dreams of the aspirants.

Mann cited figures to buttress his charge, stating that 93 paper leaks had occurred since 2014 when the BJP assumed office at the Centre, with 65 of those leaks taking place between 2019 and 2024. He alleged that the highest number of leaks occurred in BJP-governed states including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh. These figures were stated by the Chief Minister in the House and have not been independently verified.

Mann also referenced the NEET examination controversy, claiming that 22 NEET candidates had died by suicide — a figure he attributed to the broader crisis of examination integrity. He further said that student protests had compelled the Prime Minister to accept the resignation of the Union Minister responsible for overseeing the examination system.

Criticising the government's handling of student protests, Mann said: The high-handedness of the Union Government in the use of tear gas, brutal police force, pellet guns and other measures against the students is regrettable. He added that pellet guns were banned across the world and their use against students was, in his words, merciless.

On the government's proposed fast-track courts for paper-leak cases, Mann was dismissive: That means paper leaks will continue, and only the cases will be decided later. He also raised concerns about the Centre involving defence services in examination logistics, calling it a reflection of systemic failure.

Opposition Walkout

The main opposition Indian National Congress (Congress) walked out of the House during the debate, declining to participate in the discussion on the motion. The party did not publicly elaborate on its reasons for the walkout at the time of the session.

Broader Context

The motion comes amid a wider national debate over examination integrity, triggered most prominently by alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 results. The controversy has drawn protests from students across multiple states and prompted political responses from several opposition-governed assemblies. This is among the first state legislative resolutions to formally censure the Union Government on the issue, and the Punjab government's decision to route it through official ministerial channels signals an intent to place it on the record at the Centre. How the Union Government responds — if at all — will be closely watched.