Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak urged the Central Government to intervene immediately in the post-graduation work permit crisis being faced by Indian students, particularly Punjabi students, in Canada. He appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs to engage with the Canadian government at the diplomatic level and protect the affected Indian students from deportation.

The Minister said that the students who enrolled at Portage College in Brampton in 2024 have completed their two-year post-graduation program. However, after the change of government in Canada, the authorities there have arbitrarily altered the rules and withheld the students’ work permits. This is nothing short of outright fraud.

He said that despite paying hefty tuition fees and complying with all legal procedures, our talented children, among whom a large number are daughters, are today being forced to protest by setting up tents on the streets in the midst of heavy rainfall.

The Minister also accused the Ministry of External Affairs of the Central Government of adopting an indifferent approach in this matter. He said that when the country’s children are crying on the streets in a foreign land, the Government of India cannot afford to remain a silent spectator. This is not merely an issue concerning a few students, but a question of the nation’s self-respect and the future of our youth. The Central Government must immediately register a strong diplomatic protest with the Canadian government on this highly sensitive issue and ensure the restoration of the students’ work permits.

The AAP leader said that families across Punjab, including those in Pathankot and Gurdaspur, are deeply concerned and outraged after witnessing the plight of their children. The Punjab Government is continuously pursuing this matter at its own level and is taking every possible step. However, the authority to engage in international diplomatic dialogue rests with the Central Government. Therefore, the Modi Government must wake up immediately, establish contact with the Canadian government, and find an immediate resolution to this crisis.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday moved a landmark resolution in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), urging the House to hold the Union Government accountable for repeated examination scandals, paper leaks and institutional failures that have severely impacted the future of millions of students and job aspirants across the country. The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the resolution.

Addressing the Vidhan Sabha, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Under the arrogant rule of a dictatorial BJP-led Union Government, every vital sector in the country, especially the future of millions of hardworking youth, has been put up for sale.”

The Minister said, “Systemic corruption and repeated paper leaks in high-stakes examinations such as NEET have broken the morale of young aspirants. More than two lakh fifty thousand students stayed away from the re-examination out of sheer despair after realising that merit had been traded for cash and political patronage.”

Minister Harpal Singh Cheema pointed out, “While the Prime Minister frequently takes to social media and digital platforms for superficial outreach, the state machinery responds to peaceful and democratic appeals by students with pellet guns, tear gas and AK-47 assault rifles. Even minors, schoolgirls apologising under duress and renowned reformer Sonam Wangchuk have been booked under stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita instead of receiving justice.”

He said, “The resolution strongly condemns more than seventy major examination scandals, digital remote-access hacks and recruitment scams that have plagued the country over the past decade. It calls for complete restructuring and decentralisation of testing bodies such as the National Testing Agency, exemplary action against paper leak syndicates and the immediate withdrawal of unjust criminal proceedings against peaceful student protesters.”

The Minister said, “The contrast between the situation in several BJP-ruled states and Punjab is evident. While the Union Government protects corrupt syndicates and exploits students, the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has provided nearly 70,000 government jobs purely on merit and restored SC scholarships, ensuring that more than half a lakh marginalised students can pursue their education without economic barriers.”

Concluding his address, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “It is the unstoppable power and awakening of India’s youth that has finally forced the arrogant BJP leadership to bend before public pressure. This House should send the resolution to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Union Ministry of Education and the Prime Minister’s Office so that the concerns of the people and the aspirations of the country’s youth are formally placed before them.”

Cabinet Ministers Dr Balbir Singh and Aman Arora, MLAs Gurpreet Singh Banawali, Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Dr Nachhatar Pal, Gurinder Singh Garry Warring, Amritpal Singh and Sukhanand also address the House while supporting the resolution.

Standing firmly with Gen Z and raising its voice against what it termed as atrocities on the country’s youth, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday passed a Censure Motion by voice vote against repeated paper leaks across the country. Winding up the debate on the motion and later addressing the media, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said repeated paper leaks under the BJP-led Union Government had shattered the aspirations of crores of students, while those seeking justice were met with tear gas shells, pellet guns and police action instead of accountability.

The Chief Minister announced that the Punjab Government would forward the Censure Motion to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Ministry of Education and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, urging the Centre to take stringent measures to prevent paper leaks and restore the credibility of the country’s education system. Congress, however, walked out of the House during the debate on the motion.

Addressing the Vidhan Sabha on Censure Motion against the repeated paper leaks in the country, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated 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. A reflection of this is that 22 candidates of the NEET examination committed suicide. From 2014, ever since the BJP regime assumed charge of office, 93 paper leaks have taken place in the country.”

Citing the figures relating to paper leaks, the Chief Minister said, “The number of such paper leaks between 2019 and 2024 was 65 and the maximum number of such leaks took place in BJP-led governments in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and others. The Prime Minister, who used to give tips to students about appearing in examinations, has failed to check the paper leaks. What else could be expected from a Prime Minister whose own degree is nowhere in sight.”

Expressing concern over the manner in which students have been treated, he pointed out, “These leaders are changing the school syllabus for the sake of their own vested political interests, which is highly unfortunate. The students of the country forced the Prime Minister to take the resignation of the Union Minister who had failed to check the paper leaks in the country. 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.”

Continuing on the issue, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Pellet guns are banned across the world, but the Union Government has mercilessly used them against innocent students. Instead of pledging to conduct the examinations fairly, the Prime Minister is promising fast-track courts to mislead the people. It is a mockery of the system that the Union Government is roping in Defence services for the smooth execution of the examinations.”

Highlighting the impact of paper leaks on students and their families, he said, “It is unfortunate that students have to suffer because of paper leaks. The students who are preparing for such coveted examinations are the hope of their families. However, when such papers are sold to affluent people in the name of paper leaks, their dreams are shattered. These leaders are playing with the future of the youth of the country, due to which Gen Z came on the roads and faced countless atrocities.”

Questioning the credibility of the present examination system, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Such paper leaks put a question mark on the education system of the country and that is why the degrees of the country have no value abroad. Instead of fixing accountability, the Central Government continues to shield those responsible for this mess. The Prime Minister teaches students how to prepare for examinations, but he has never taught the institutions under his government how to conduct examinations with transparency, fairness and security.”

Speaking about the Centre’s overall functioning, he said, “The foreign policy of the Central Government has miserably failed to protect the interests and sovereignty of the country. Those sitting in the White House in Washington are dictating the policies in the country. This is a pointer towards the sorry state of affairs in the country as the Union Government has completely failed in its duty.”

Announcing the action taken by his government after the debate, the Chief Minister said, “The Punjab Government has brought this Censure Motion in the Vidhan Sabha today. The adopted motion will be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Ministry of Education and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs so that the repeated interference with the country’s education system and paper leaks in examinations like NEET are brought to their notice.”

Referring to the repeated paper leaks despite investigations, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “Crores of students have been affected by these paper leaks. A CBI inquiry is ordered every time, but nobody is punished. It has become merely a formality. Even now, the Prime Minister is saying that the matter will be decided in fast-track courts. That means paper leaks will continue, and only the cases will be decided later.”

Continuing, the Chief Minister said, “Today, even the Defence services are being deployed to conduct examinations. What bigger irony can there be? We claim to become a Vishwaguru, but we are unable to conduct our own examinations. Because of such repeated paper leaks, even those students who have genuinely earned MBBS, veterinary, engineering and other professional degrees from India are asked to study again or clear fresh tests when they go abroad. Foreign institutions and companies tell them that they do not have confidence in our examination system. Yet these people continue to talk about making India a Vishwaguru.”

Demanding justice for the affected students, the Chief Minister said, “We strongly condemn this entire episode. The cases registered against students who were protesting for their rights should be withdrawn immediately. As promised by the Union Government, the families of students who died by suicide should be given ₹1 crore each. The Government of India must also ensure that such incidents never take place again.”

Expressing disappointment over the conduct of the Congress during the debate, the Chief Minister said, “Almost every member of the House supported the Censure Motion except the Congress. The Congress chose to boycott the debate. It is unfortunate that when students across the country are fighting for their future, the Congress did not stand with them even on an issue like repeated paper leaks. They were given an opportunity to rise above politics and speak against the Centre on an issue concerning the youth, but they chose to walk out.”

The Chief Minister further said, “When I was speaking in the Vidhan Sabha today, the Opposition benches were lying empty. This is a glimpse of 2027. Instead of participating in a debate on such an important issue, they boycotted the proceedings. On one hand, their leaders protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence on education-related issues, and on the other, they walk out of the House when they are given an opportunity to debate the same issue.”

Clarifying Punjab’s record on examinations, the Chief Minister said, “Not even a single incident of paper leak has taken place in Punjab during the last more than four years of our government. There have been instances of cheating during certain examinations, but those cases were detected by the government itself. Whether someone used digital devices, scanning pens or any other means to cheat, strict action was taken, FIRs were registered and those involved were sent behind bars. Cheating and paper leaks are two different things, and the Opposition is deliberately trying to confuse the two.”

Referring to the action taken against organised gangs involved in examination-related offences, the Chief Minister said, “The gangs involved in such cases have been identified and action has been taken. Earlier too, during recruitment examinations, gangs operating from Haryana were arrested. I have a complete list which shows that the highest number of paper leaks have taken place in BJP-ruled states.”

Highlighting Punjab’s transparent recruitment policy, the Chief Minister said, “In Punjab, merit is the sole criterion for getting government jobs. No recommendations, no bribes, government jobs are given only on merit in a transparent manner. So far, more than 68,000 government jobs have been provided to the youth.”

Speaking about the state’s achievements in education, the Chief Minister said, “Due to the strenuous efforts of the state government, Punjab has surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi to secure the number one position in primary and middle-school education. The state government has upgraded primary and middle-school education, strengthened the system, introduced smart classrooms and provided advanced training to teachers.”

Highlighting the transformation brought about in the education sector, the Chief Minister said, “As a result of these efforts, Punjab is excelling in the school education sector. NITI Aayog, one of the Government of India’s premier institutions, has released new figures showing that Punjab has surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi to secure the number one position in primary and middle-school education. For the last four years, the state government has focused on teacher training, modern teaching methods and smart classrooms, and today Punjab stands at the top. Earlier Kerala held the top position, but now Punjab has claimed the number one rank with a huge margin. More such efforts will be made in the coming time too.”

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to quality education, the Chief Minister said, “The state government firmly believes that every child deserves access to quality education irrespective of his or her economic background. The state government is making concerted efforts to give impetus to the education sector, and the government’s initiatives are aimed at ensuring that children from common families get the same opportunities to excel as anyone else. Education is the strongest tool for empowering future generations and building a prosperous Punjab, and the state government will leave no stone unturned to strengthen it.”

Recalling the journey of Punjab’s education sector, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “When I assumed charge of office, the state was ranked 27th in school education. Today, it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that Punjab stands at number one. While only 80 students from government schools had qualified the NEET examination in 2021, the number had risen to 881 students in 2026, marking the highest-ever achievement by Punjab Government schools. The state government has prioritised education and taken path-breaking initiatives in the education sector to transform the lives of people.”