India’s Supreme Court protects student protesters as government moves to tighten exam leak laws
India’s Supreme Court has directed authorities not to take any coercive action against student protesters involved in recent demonstrations over examination paper leaks. The court also ordered the immediate release of all detained protesters who are under the age of 18 and instructed officials to preserve surveillance footage and digital records linked to the protests as allegations of police brutality continue to be examined.
According to Indian media reports, Chief Justice Surya Kant issued the interim directions while hearing petitions filed by students and rights activists. The petitions accused police and paramilitary forces of using excessive force, including pellet guns, against demonstrators during weeks of protests in New Delhi and several other cities. The court stressed that all available evidence, including drone recordings, body camera footage and CCTV videos, must be secured to ensure a fair investigation. It also ordered that the personal and digital data of protesters should remain protected and must not be made public.
The Chief Justice said any investigation into the allegations would be meaningless if responsibility was not fixed for those found guilty of misconduct. He emphasized the need for an independent and impartial inquiry into claims that innocent protesters were subjected to unnecessary violence during the demonstrations.
The Indian government has maintained that police acted within the law while controlling large crowds. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that although complaints of attacks on students deserved serious attention, nearly 250 police personnel were also injured during the protests. He said the government had no objection to an independent investigation into the incidents.
At the same time, the government has introduced proposed amendments aimed at imposing much tougher punishments for examination paper leaks. The bill, presented in parliament during the ongoing monsoon session, seeks to increase the maximum prison sentence for those involved in leaking examination papers from five years to ten years. It also proposes fines of more than one million dollars and faster court proceedings to deal with such cases.
Senior minister Jitendra Singh said the amendments demonstrate the government’s commitment to protecting students and restoring confidence in the country’s examination system. He told lawmakers the proposed changes are intended to strengthen existing laws and ensure swift justice so that the credibility of national examinations can be rebuilt.
The issue has dominated parliament since lawmakers returned for the monsoon session last week. Opposition parties have repeatedly disrupted proceedings while demanding accountability for the police response to the student movement and pressing the government to address concerns over the handling of the exam leak crisis.
The nationwide protests began after question papers for a national medical college entrance examination were leaked, sparking anger among students who believed the integrity of the examination process had been compromised. The demonstrations ended on Saturday after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government accepted key demands from protest leaders. These included reforms to the examination system, the withdrawal of police cases against protesters and compensation for families of students who reportedly died by suicide following the scandal.
Clashes between protesters and security forces were reported in several cities during the demonstrations. In New Delhi, police used tear gas and baton charges to stop protesters attempting to march toward parliament. Authorities also suspended a police officer in eastern India after he fired warning shots into the air while trying to disperse protesters.
The protests have also sparked concerns over the government’s use of advanced surveillance technology. Activists questioned the deployment of AI powered mobile surveillance vehicles after images shared online appeared to show police using high mounted cameras capable of monitoring crowds from every direction. Meanwhile, the student group leading the movement claimed that hundreds of protesters remain in custody across different states despite earlier commitments made by the government.
