Up to 10-year jail & Rs 10 crore fine: Cabinet clears tougher anti-paper leak bill
NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet on Friday approved amendments to the Prevention of Paper Leak law, proposing tougher penalties for those involved in examination paper leaks. According to sources, the proposed legislation provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore. It also seeks to increase the minimum imprisonment for individuals convicted in paper leak cases from the current three years to five years. The move comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for stricter safeguards to protect the integrity of competitive exams. Government to introduce Bill in Parliament soon Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the government would soon introduce the legislation in Parliament, adding that the PM Modi had directed that there should be no delay in bringing the Bill. “We are preparing to present the bill, but after you receive the briefing on our cabinet decision, we will inform you about our timing. The Prime Minister has said that there should be no delay in the bill we are bringing regarding students. The country also wants what the Prime Minister has said, so it would not be right to resort to any tactics to obstruct it… Congress will fall into this if they continue to disrupt the parliamentary proceedings. We are taking important steps for the future of the students. If the Congress party continues to create all kinds of hurdles to prevent parliamentary discussion, then they will have to face the brunt of the youth of this nation and, in fact, the entire nation,” Rijiju said. Rijiju criticises Opposition over Parliament disruptions Rijiju accused the Opposition of preventing a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue in Parliament, saying the government had repeatedly sought a debate. “For 5 days, we were unable to discuss the NEET paper leak. So, we appealed today as well. Our minister will brief us on the important cabinet decision. Rahul Gandhi was in the House today, so we asked that the debate begin immediately. Now, the Congress party has shown that it’s not interested in debate. Those who were protesting, and Sonam Wangchuk, the most prominent figure among the protesters, also broke his hunger strike and said that the discussion should take place now. I don’t think there’s any benefit in politicising this. We should focus on how to take concrete steps and the future of the students,” he said. The minister appealed to the Opposition to allow Parliament to function, saying the focus should remain on strengthening the examination system. “The future of the students and how we can ensure a proper and very strong system in place for the future of the students; this has to be our priority. By disrupting the parliamentary procedures and the House, it will not yield any result. I would like to request once again of Rahul Gandhi and all the opposition members that better sense should prevail. You cannot indefinitely create trouble in the Parliament to prevent discussion. It is wasting the time of all of the members… It is very critical to let the Parliament function, and when all matters are to be discussed. Taking to the demands of all the members: Why the Congress Party and some of their allies are disturbing the parliamentary proceedings. I do not understand. It would be nice if they could make any demands. But they can make it during their intervention,” Rijiju said. Cabinet decision comes amid talks with protesting students The Cabinet’s decision comes a day after Union ministers held talks with representatives of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has been leading protests over the NEET paper leak controversy. Following the meeting, CJP leaders said the government had sought time till Saturday afternoon to decide on their demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. They also claimed the Centre had given in-principle approval to two other demands, including compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and withdrawal of FIRs and legal cases against protesting students. The government initiated the dialogue after social activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike following written assurances from the Centre on reforms to the competitive examination system. Ahead of the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the government would consider a draft Bill providing for fast-track courts and stricter punishment for paper leak offenders, saying, “More strict actions against paper leaks to come in tomorrow’s Cabinet!” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
“Stop the Metro, shut down the Internet… but they couldn’t stop the paper leaks”; Rahul Gandhi’s scathing attack on PM Modi
Following the closure of 18 Delhi Metro stations, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi took a dig at PM Modi. He said, “Stop the Metro, shut down the Internet. But PM Modi couldn’t stop the paper leaks.” New Delhi: Students have been protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for several days over alleged irregularities in the NEET entrance exam. Meanwhile, the government has imposed several restrictions in the capital, including the closure of 18 Delhi Metro stations. Now, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has taken a dig at Modi. “Stop the Metro, shut down the roads, shut down the shops, shut down the Internet, and stop eating,” he said, taking a dig at PM Modi. “Stop the Metro, shut down the roads, shut down the shops, shut down the Internet, and stop eating,” he said. Brutal action against students demanding their rights On Saturday, in a post on the social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi said, “Shut down the metro, block roads, close shops. The government has taken these brutal measures against students demanding their rights.” Rahul raised the pellet gun issue Earlier on Friday, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the central government in support of students protesting against the paper leak issue. Rahul Gandhi said, “This young man was hit with a pellet gun while he was peacefully protesting with the Indian tricolor in his hands. The government says that pellet guns were not used during the protest, but the truth is in front of everyone.” He claimed that a student’s eye was seriously injured and he lost his vision in the pellet gun attack. Rahul Gandhi said, “I cannot even say with certainty whether this young man’s eyesight will be saved.” Allegations of firing pellet guns against students The Congress leader alleged that pellet guns were fired and they were beaten with sticks against thousands of young people protesting against the paper leak. He said that the students were only protesting peacefully over issues related to their future and the education system. Demand for Dharmendra Pradhan’s Resignation Rahul Gandhi launched a direct attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying, “Dharmendra Pradhan is a criminal Education Minister. He should be removed from his post. He symbolizes the decline of the country’s education system. He is responsible for the thousands of people on the streets today.” He alleged that the Modi government has attacked the country’s future, while the students are making only three demands. According to Rahul Gandhi, the protesting students’ main demands are: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign. Strict action should be taken against those who allegedly brutalized the students. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologize to the students and the country. Rahul Gandhi appealed to the central government to stop intimidating and assaulting students and to seriously consider and fulfill their demands. Curated by: Abhishek Pandey About the Author Abhishek Pandey is a digital journalist at Navbharat Times. He joined Navbharat Times, the digital wing of the Times of India Group, in July 2025. He currently covers news for the National and Delhi desks. He has four years of experience in journalism, both as a reporter and on the desk. Courtesy: Hindi News
Accused arrested for raping a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar (UP): A 21-year-old man has been arrested for raping a six-year-old Dalit girl in the Meerapur police station area of Muzaffarnagar district, a police official said. Station in-charge Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday that the incident occurred on Friday when the girl was playing outside her home. Based on a complaint from the victim’s mother, police have registered a case against the accused, Arjun Sharma, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to the complaint, the accused neighbor lured the girl to his home and sexually assaulted her, causing injuries. Police said the victim has been sent for a medical examination and the accused has been arrested. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Cockroaches Don’t Die’: How a Dalit Student Built India’s Most Disruptive Gen Z Political Movement
When India’s Chief Justice called unemployed youth “cockroaches,” Abhijeet Dipke turned the insult into a movement. Two months later, the 30-year-old Boston University graduate leads what may be the most significant street protests against Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014. Revolt of the Roaches: How India’s Most Significant Student Uprising in a Generation Came to Be On May 16, 2026, a 30-year-old political communications strategist sitting in Chicago typed six words on X — or something close to that number — in a moment of frustration, and posted them into the void of Indian social media. The frustration had a specific origin. One day earlier, on May 15, India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant had made remarks during a court hearing that were widely reported as comparing unemployed Indian youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites of society.” The Chief Justice later said his comments had been misconstrued by the media. But the damage — or, depending on your perspective, the spark — had already been struck. Abhijeet Dipke, the man who typed those six words, was not the kind of person the Indian establishment had learned to fear. He was a Dalit from Aurangabad — a city in Maharashtra that has since been officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — the son of a man who grew up in extreme poverty and whose own father was just a farmer. He had a journalism degree from Pune and a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. He had worked for three years on the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media and election campaign team before moving to the United States to study. He did not hold elected office, command organizational resources, or control a media platform. What he had was a phone, a social media account, and a clarity of purpose that the moment seemed to demand. GeographicReference He announced the founding of the Cockroach Janta Party — CJP, a deliberate echo of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s initials — on May 16, 2026, as a satirical response to the Chief Justice’s remarks. The name was the point: if the powerful called India’s unemployed young people cockroaches, then cockroaches they would be. The party’s slogan — “Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed” — was both self-deprecating and precise. Its founding document described itself as “a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth.” What happened next surprised even Dipke. Lakhs of people registered on the party’s website within days. On Instagram, the CJP account accumulated nearly 22 million followers — more than twice the follower count of the BJP’s own Instagram presence, as NPR reported. The satirical party had, in the space of weeks, become something more than satire. The Dalit From Aurangabad: A Biography Written in Caste To understand what Abhijeet Dipke represents — and why the movement he has built carries the specific charge that it does — you have to understand where he comes from. He was born on September 29, 1995, in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, into a Dalit family, as Reuters documented in a detailed profile published July 23, 2026. His family originally traces its ancestral roots to the rural village of Santuk Pimpri in the Hingoli district, before relocating to the MIDC Waluj area of the city following his father’s employment with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, as BiographyKind’s documented account noted. “My father comes from a very humble background. He grew up in extreme poverty. My grandfather was just a farmer,” Dipke told Reuters in a phone interview from Chicago in May. The family’s trajectory — from subsistence farming in rural Hingoli to an industrial township in Aurangabad to, eventually, a Boston University graduate school — is precisely the kind of upward mobility that post-independence India promised and that, Dipke argues, has become increasingly difficult to achieve. GeographicReference His Dalit identity has not been incidental to his politics. When he arrived in Delhi on June 6, 2026, to lead his first in-person protest, he held aloft a copy of “My Autobiography” by B.R. Ambedkar — the Dalit jurist, economist, and social reformer who drafted India’s Constitution and who remains the defining hero of Dalit political consciousness in modern India, as Reuters documented. The gesture was not accidental. Ambedkar’s life — born into caste oppression, educated abroad, returned to India to demand constitutional rights for the most marginalized — maps onto Dipke’s own trajectory in ways he has made explicit. The Ambedkar connection carries an additional resonance specific to the current moment. Aurangabad sits in the shadow of the Maratha empire’s history and of Ambedkar’s own Maharashtrian roots. Dipke’s city is Ambedkar’s country. And when the Chief Justice of India called unemployed youth cockroaches, a Dalit man from that city was among those who heard the insult most clearly. His caste identity also made him a target as soon as he went public. The Print documented that Dipke faced casteist attacks on social media after he revealed he was Dalit — a pattern that his supporters recognized as consistent with the treatment of Dalit activists and commentators across Indian public life. When a woman threw blue ink at him as he was addressing supporters, smearing his face — in a protest gesture, later explained as an accusation that the CJP had insulted Lord Ram — Dipke posted a video of the incident with the caption “The blue is my color,” as Reuters documented. The reference was unmistakable: blue is the color closely associated with the Ambedkarite movement. GeographicReference Boston, the AAP, and the Making of a Political Strategist Dipke’s route from Aurangabad to the barricades at Jantar Mantar runs through Pune, Boston, and a three-year stint with one of India’s most media-savvy political parties. He completed his undergraduate degree in journalism in Pune before moving to the United States for graduate school. At Boston University — one of the country’s leading communications and public affairs programs — he earned a Master of Science in Public Relations. That academic background, as the Young India biographical account
Barnala Incident Reflects Bhagwant Mann Government’s Anti-Dalit Mindset; Arrest the Accused Immediately: Paramjit Singh Kainth
CHANDIGARH: Paramjit Singh Kainth, Vice President of the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha, Punjab, strongly condemned the incident involving sanitation workers in Barnala, stating that it reflects the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab and the Bhagwant Mann government’s alleged insensitivity towards the Dalit community. He alleged that the police action against protesting sanitation workers was carried out under political pressure, which is contrary to democratic rights and the principles of social justice. Kainth said that the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis taking suo motu cognizance of the matter and seeking a report from the Punjab Government is a clear indication of the state’s failure to protect the rights and dignity of sanitation workers. He demanded the immediate arrest of all those responsible, a fair and impartial investigation, and adequate security, appropriate compensation, and legal assistance for the affected sanitation workers. He warned that if the government fails to take prompt action, the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha will launch a statewide democratic and constitutional agitation across Punjab in support of justice for the affected sanitation workers. Courtesy : Punjab News Express Note: This news is originally published on https:/punjabnewsexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Two M.P. Police constables arrested for raping minor dalit girl in Bhopal
According to the police, the incident took place on July 22 and that the minor survivor lodged a complaint on July 23, based on which a case was registered Two Madhya Pradesh Police personnel have been arrested for allegedly raping a minor Dalit girl after abducting her in Bhopal, police said on Friday (July 24, 2026). According to the police, the incident took place on July 22 and that the minor survivor lodged a complaint in Bhopal’s Jahangirabad police station on July 23, based on which a case was registered. Bhopal Additional Commissioner of Police (law and order) Shailendra Singh Chauhan told The Hindu that the accused have been identified as constables Santosh Sen and Jitendra Singh, and that the duo have been arrested. “The complainant approached Jahangirabad Police Station and reported that two individuals, who are basically police constables, called the minor girl and took her in a car somewhere where one of them raped her,” Mr. Chauhan said. Case registered The officer said that a case under relevant provisions, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and BNS Sections like 137(2), has been registered, and investigation has been taken up. Mr. Chauhan said that a medical examination was conducted on the survivor. Another officer from Jahangirabad said that the accused had called the girl and lured her on the pretext of taking her to someone’s birthday. “They then took her to a secluded location where Santosh Sen raped her. After this they left the girl at a square in the city,” the officer said, requesting anonymity. The officer said that the girl is currently at her home and her health condition is fine. Mehul Malpani Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit family alleges court order, yet SDM changes land ownership
A decision by the SDM court regarding 17 bighas of land worth ₹20 crore in the Madhorajpura subdivision has sparked a major controversy. The aggrieved Dalit family has filed a complaint with the Chief Minister and Jaipur Collector Sandesh Nayak, accusing SDM Madhorajpura Rajesh Kumar of abuse of power and bias. Victim Paras Verma, a resident of Harsulia village, stated that in this 45-year-old dispute, the civil court had declared his registry valid on April 29, 2026. Despite this, on June 16, 2026, the SDM court, after a four-and-a-half-day hearing, disregarded the rules of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act and passed a decree transferring land previously owned by the SC category to the ST category. Invited to a flat, pressured Paras alleges that on June 3, he was summoned to a flat in Nandini Apartments near Sanganer Airport, where the SDM himself was present, and pressured to compromise. He is being threatened with arrest by the police if he refuses the offer. A complaint has been filed with the CMO, ACB, and the Scheduled Castes Commission. This is a judicial decision: SDM Regarding the allegations, SDM Rajesh Kumar said, “This is a judicial decision. If any party has any objections, the doors of appeal are open from the RAA to the Revenue Board; they are free to appeal.” Courtesy: Hindi News
In Sambhal, the Turki community prevented a Dalit Muslim family from praying in the mosque, angering SP Krishna Kumar Vishnoi and filing an FIR.
A case has been filed against five named accused, including the Mutawalli. The SP stated, “Violations of fundamental rights will not be tolerated; strict action will be taken.” Sambhal. A sensational case of social discrimination and religious persecution has emerged from the village of Mandli Samaspur, under the police station jurisdiction of Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh. A Muslim youth has alleged that members of the dominant Turki community within his own community forcibly prevented him and his family from praying in the village mosque. Following the victim’s complaint, Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Vishnoi has taken strong cognizance of the matter and ordered the immediate registration of an FIR against the accused and strict legal action. Allegations of discrimination and social boycott due to belonging to the Dhunia community According to reports, the victim, Mohammad Wasim, a resident of Mandli Samaspur, reached the district headquarters on Friday and met with District Magistrate (DM) Ankit Khandelwal and Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi to narrate his ordeal. The victim, Mohammad Wasim, alleges that he belongs to the Dhunia (Bunna) community. Some influential members of the Turk community in the village are preventing him and his community from offering prayers in the mosque as per their tradition. The victim says that the mosque’s Mutawalli, Atiq Ahmed, his son Shane Alam, and several others have been socially boycotting his family for the past year and a half. Zakat, donations, and the Imam’s meals have also been banned. The victim told officials that the accused are neither accepting donations or Zakat from him for the mosque nor allowing him to participate in religious events. The situation reached its peak when the accused even prevented the mosque’s Imam from eating food at the victim’s home. According to Wasim, around 5-6 families from his community live in the village and are facing such caste and social oppression. SP said, “Violation of fundamental rights will not be tolerated; legal action initiated.” Considering the matter as extremely serious, SP Krishna Kumar Vishnoi expressed deep displeasure. He said that the Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the freedom to practice their religious rights. If a person’s fundamental rights are being violated in this manner, it will not be tolerated at all. The SP stated that preliminary investigations revealed that this dispute had been ongoing for a long time. Previous attempts were made at the police level to reach a compromise between the two parties, but these were unsuccessful. Now, a strict legal stance is being taken. FIR registered against 5 named accused Following the SP’s strict instructions, the police have registered a case against Atiq Ahmed (Mutawalli), Shane Alam, Amir, Bholu, and Hafiz Maruf under relevant sections based on the victim’s complaint. The police administration has assured that the victim’s family will be given full security and they will be able to exercise their religious rights without any fear or hindrance. Courtesy: Hindi News
Husband attacked with axes and sticks for protesting against wife’s molestation: Dalit family attacked with axes and sticks, caste-related abuses alleged
A Dalit family has been attacked with axes and sticks in the Nai Mandi police station area of Muzaffarnagar for protesting against alleged molestation of a woman. The victim’s family alleges that neighbors attacked the young man with sticks and axes, seriously injuring him. They also hurled caste-related abuses and threatened to kill the entire family. The injured man is undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Police have launched an investigation. The incident took place in Haripuram Kookra. According to the victim, some young men from the neighborhood had been allegedly harassing and teasing his wife for a long time. When he protested, he was first beaten up. Attacked with Weapons After Calling Family The victim alleges that when he called his family to the scene, the accused arrived armed with sticks and sharp weapons like axes and attacked the entire family. He suffered serious injuries to his head and several parts of his body. He was subsequently admitted to the district hospital. Allegations of Casteist Abuses and Threats The victim alleged that the attackers used casteist slurs during the assault and said, “We will not allow people from lower castes to live in the neighborhood.” They also threatened to rape his wife and kill his entire family. The victim has demanded action against the named accused and 10 to 12 unidentified individuals. He alleges that all of them arrived with weapons in a planned manner. Police Investigating Upon receiving information about the incident, police from the Nai Mandi police station arrived at the scene. Police have conducted a medical examination of the injured and have begun investigating the case based on the complaint filed by the victim’s family. The police say that further legal action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during the investigation. Varun Kumar Sharma | Muzaffarnagar Courtesy: Hindi News
Kharge asks PM to address Parliament on paper leaks, not deliver ‘one-sided Mann Ki Baat’
Kharge’s remarks came after Modi, in a video message on Thursday night, said the Union Cabinet would discuss the proposed legislation on Friday before introducing it in Parliament next week. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should address Parliament on the paper leaks issue instead of making a “one-sided Mann Ki Baat” outside the House. Kharge’s remarks came after Modi, in a video message on Thursday night, said the Union Cabinet would discuss the proposed legislation on Friday before introducing it in Parliament next week. Reacting to the announcement, Kharge said, “Before coming to Parliament today, please dismiss Dharmendra Pradhan. First, apologise to the students and take strict action against those who ordered the use of batons and pellet guns to suppress the students’ voices. Then we are ready for a detailed discussion on the education system.” “When Parliament is in session, the prime minister is required to make a statement on the floor of the House. He should not be delivering a one-sided ‘Mann Ki Baat’ outside Parliament,” the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X. In his address on Thursday, Modi said the Cabinet would deliberate on the proposed law before finalising its provisions. “On Monday, when the second week of the Monsoon session of Parliament will begin, a bill will be brought with provisions for strong action against paper leaks and we will try to pass it as early as possible,” he said. The prime minister acknowledged that paper leaks had deeply affected lakhs of students and their families and said the government had acted swiftly after allegations of the NEET paper leak surfaced over two months ago. “The guilty have been caught. They are now in jail. Our most significant responsibility was to ensure that the students did not lose a year. It was necessary to hold the examination immediately. By using all resources, the government ensured that 22 lakh students could attend the retest,” Modi said. Soon after the PM’s address, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised him for not addressing demands for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, saying Modi should not insult the intelligence of students with a “pathetic midnight video”. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights