“If the government has brought these provisions, then I obviously support them,” he said. “As a lawyer, whenever the government talks about speeding up judicial proceedings, I am happy. We get exhausted seeing repeated adjournments in court. Clients come with only one hope, that justice should come quickly. If investigations, day-to-day hearings and appeals are completed within fixed timelines, it is a very good step.”

Under the draft proposals set for Parliament, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act would be amended to sharply increase punishment for exam fraud. The minimum sentence for paper leak offences would rise from three years to five, with jail terms of up to ten years and fines as high as Rs 50 lakh. For organised paper leak syndicates, the minimum sentence would climb to seven years, with fines reaching Rs 10 crore.

The amendments also propose specialised investigative teams, a two-month deadline for completing investigations, day-to-day fast-track trials to be wrapped up within three months of a chargesheet being filed, and appeals disposed of, where possible, within a further three months.

Patel said such steps could restore faith in the justice system, provided they are properly enforced.

“These reforms will definitely help. But implementation is equally important,” he said. “Governments have announced fast-track courts before as well. The real question is whether these timelines will actually be followed at the grassroots level. Still, if the government has accepted that reforms are needed and has brought these amendments, I support them.”

A Father’s Loss

Kahaan Patel took his own life on 18 June, after the original NEET-UG examination held on 3 May was scrapped and a re-test ordered amid allegations of a nationwide paper leak. His father said Kahaan had expected to score around 650 marks and had felt confident walking out of the exam hall, with coaching institute assessments putting his likely score at roughly 649.

“My son became deeply distressed after the government announced the re-test, believing that months of hard work had effectively been nullified,” Patel said.

He recalled his son growing increasingly angry at the examination system, though the family did not grasp the depth of his distress until after his death, when friends and coaching teachers spoke of a marked change in his behaviour in the weeks before.

From grief to the streets

In the aftermath, Patel travelled to Delhi and visited the student protest site at Jantar Mantar twice. The demonstrations, led by the Cockroach Janata Party, called for accountability over the paper leak, the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, compensation for the families of students who died by suicide, and protection for protesters from legal action.

Watching students hold their ground despite police action, Patel said, convinced him to throw his weight behind their cause.

“I personally observed demonstrations in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Surat. I feel the police action against the students was unwarranted. Political parties should also not overshadow student-led movements,” he said. “My son is no longer with us, but these children were fighting for every student. That is why I supported them.”

On Saturday, one of the protesters’ central demands was met when Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister, citing moral responsibility for the crisis. Pralhad Joshi has since been given additional charge of the ministry, following weeks of nationwide protest and three rounds of talks with student representatives.

Patel described a measure of relief at the resignation. “It felt like I had finally been able to pay tribute to Kahaan. My son’s anger was about accountability. The government accepted responsibility, even if it came late,” he said, while insisting that accountability must go further than a resignation. “The government took time to respond and I questioned that delay. But if it has now accepted responsibility and is bringing meaningful reforms, then those reforms deserve support.”

In a detail he had kept even from his own family, Patel revealed he had quietly begun a personal fast after watching the students’ resolve.

“When I saw the students return to Jantar Mantar the same night after everything they had gone through on 20 July, I decided privately that I would also stop eating. It was something personal. I did not announce it publicly,” he said.

Background

The NEET-UG row erupted after claims that the 3 May paper had been leaked ahead of the exam. The government cancelled the test, referred the matter to the CBI, and held a nationwide re-examination on 21 June for more than twenty lakh candidates. The fallout has included weeks of protest, disruption in Parliament, legal challenges and fresh scrutiny of India’s examination system.

With Parliament set to debate the strengthened legislation, Patel said he would be watching closely.

“As both a father and a lawyer, I want these provisions to become reality,” he said. “If investigations become faster, trials become time-bound and organised paper leak networks face stringent punishment, then future students may not have to suffer what Kahaan and thousands of others went through.