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A bill to amend a two-year-old anti-paper leak law, which proposes to set up fast-track courts in every state for speedy trials of accused, is set for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Monday. According to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, investigations into paper leak cases are to be completed within two months. The bill circulated to the Lok Sabha members ahead of its introduction says that individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means in exams will get jail terms for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years, and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. For organised crimes, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore. All the states and UTs will be directed to set up fast-track courts, which will conduct hearings swiftly and complete the trial within three months of filing of the chargesheet, the bill says. Amid the ongoing students' agitation at the Jantar Mantar and different parts of the country
Online gaming platforms WinZO and Nazara Technologies-backed Moonshine Technologies (PokerBaazi) on Friday said that they have suspended their real-money online gaming operations in the wake of the Online Gaming Bill, 2025, passed in the Parliament on Thursday. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, enforces a blanket ban on all forms of real-money online games, while encouraging the growth of e-sports and free-to-play social games. In a regulatory filing, Nazara Technologies said that its associate company Moonshine Technologies Pvt Ltd, which owns and operates PokerBaazi, has suspended its real-money offerings in line with the new legislation. "Pursuant to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, passed by the Parliament on August 21, 2025 and pending enactment, we wish to inform that, as a matter of abundant caution and in due respect of the government's mandate, Moonshine Technologies Private Limited, an associate company in which Nazara ...
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday criticised the government's move to ban online money gaming, warning that such a step would only push the industry underground and strengthen criminal networks. He also said he had not studied the three Constitution amendment bills seeking to provide a framework for the removal of prime ministers, Union ministers, chief ministers and state ministers detained on serious criminal charges in any detail. On the face of it, it is difficult to say it has any problem, but obviously if anyone does something wrong they should not be a minister anyway. I don't know if there is any other motive, he remarked. Discussing the bill seeking to prohibit and regulate online gaming introduced in the Lok Sabha, he said, "I had written a very long article on the argument that by banning online gaming we are simply driving it underground, whereas it could be a useful source of revenue for the government if we legalise it, regulate it and tax it." He added that
The Lok Sabha on Monday passed two sports bills after a brief discussion, amid the din of opposition protests over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. When the House reassembled at 2 pm after an initial adjournment, the Lok Sabha took up The National Sports Governance Bill and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill for consideration and passage. When the Bills were taken up, there were hardly any opposition members in the House as most of them were detained during their protest march towards the Election Commission against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and alleged voter data fudging. Soon after, opposition members returned to the House and started raising slogans. Amid the din, the two bills were passed by a voice vote, following which the House was adjourned till 4 pm.
The government does not see any scope for making changes in the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and may issue a detailed reply soon to explain issues raised by journalists and civil rights bodies, an official source said on Friday. Civil rights and journalists' bodies on Wednesday expressed apprehension over the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, saying the provisions under it may fail the Right to Information (RTI) Act and end press freedom. "The (DPDP) Act has been passed by Parliament. Therefore no changes can be made now. Rules are being processed which can only be framed within the ambit of the Act," the source said. Government sources said the DPDP Act and draft rules under it have been framed after receiving thousands of inputs from multiple entities. About government assurance on frequently asked questions (FAQs), the source said it will be issued soon. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said deletion of the proviso in the RTI Act that ...
The BJP-led Delhi government's first Bill regulating fee hikes by recognised private unaided schools was passed by the Delhi Assembly on Friday. The Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, was passed after a four-hour debate in the House. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) proposed eight amendments to the Bill but they were rejected during voting. Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said the Bill will be sent to Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena for approval. During division of votes, 41 ruling BJP MLAs and 17 AAP legislators were present in the House. The Bill, tabled by Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday during the Monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly, seeks to regulate fee hikes by private unaided schools in the national capital.
President Donald Trump on Friday will sign into law a new set of regulations for a type of cryptocurrency that are seen as a way to legitimise the burgeoning industry. The GENIUS Act sets initial guardrails and consumer protections for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that is tied to a stable asset like the US dollar to reduce price volatility. It passed both the House and Senate with wide bipartisan margins. The measure is meant to bolster consumer confidence in the rapidly growing crypto sector. Its passage comes as Trump makes it a mission to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the world. Congratulations to our GREAT REPUBLICANS for being able to accomplish so much, a record, in so short a period of time," Trump wrote on his social media site Friday morning as he announced the bill signing. The House also passed two other bills Thursday that are meant to boost the legitimacy of the crypto industry. One creates a new market structure for cryptocurrency, and the other bans th
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill to provide for the regulation of boilers, safety of life and property of persons from the danger of explosions of steam-boilers and uniformity in registration. The Boilers Bill, 2024, seeks to repeal the century-old Boilers Act, 1923. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in December last year. Now it will be sent for assent of the President of India. The bill, which has provisions to ensure the safety of persons working inside a boiler and promoting ease of doing business, was cleared in the Lower House by a voice vote. The legislation provides that repair of boilers should be undertaken by qualified and competent persons. Piloting the bill, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said several colonial-era redundant and obsolete provisions have been removed and the bill seeks to do away with the colonial mindset. "We have made the bill simple and readable," he said. Allaying concerns of certain members, he said the legislation is not
Nearly fifty private members' bills, including those seeking to protect employees' rights in relation to use and implementation of artificial intelligence in workplaces; prevent and criminalise creation and use of deepfake contents were introduced in Rajya Sabha on Friday. Members across political parties, from ruling BJP to opposition TMC, Congress, RJD, CPI, CPI(M) and AAP introduced several private members' bills, including two separate bills seeking to increase the sitting of Parliament to at least 100 to 120 days a year, in the post lunch session of the Upper House. TMC member Mausam B Noor introduced the Artificial Intelligence (Protection of Rights of Employees) Bill, 2023 that seeks to protect the rights of employees in relation to the use and implementation of AI atworkplaces. It also seeks to regulate the use of and ensure transparency in the implementation of AI technologies at workplaces. Noor also introduced the Deepfake Prevention and Criminalisation Bill, 2023 that ..
The government is likely to bring three bills, including two to amend the Constitution, to put in place its plan to hold simultaneous elections. One of the proposed Constitution amendment bills, that deals with aligning the local bodies elections to that of the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies, will require an endorsement from at least 50 per cent of the states. Moving ahead with its 'one nation, one election' plan, the government earlier this month accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner after a countrywide consensus-building exercise. The proposed first constitutional amendment bill would deal with making provisions for holding Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections together. Citing recommendations of the high-level committee, sources said the proposed bill would seek to amend Article 82A by adding sub-clause (1) relating to the 'appointed date'. It will