Parliament in India grew heated in stages from Monday morning, 27 July, in the row over examination paper leaks. Amid opposition uproar, the union minister Jitendra Singh tabled an amendment bill in the Lok Sabha aimed at tough measures. The bill’s formal title is the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. After it was tabled, members of parliament were asked for suggestions for any necessary amendments to it.
During the students’ movement the government had given an assurance that a tough law would be brought in to stop paper leaks. If the bill tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday becomes law, those convicted in paper-leak cases could face up to 10 years in jail. The proposed bill also provides for fines of up to 10 crore rupees. It also proposes that trials be completed within three months.
The Congress member of parliament Gaurav Gogoi called the whole thing a “show” measure. He alleged that the BJP government has failed to carry out reasoned reform of the country’s education system.
From the start of Monday’s sitting, opposition members demanded that the centre account for the paper-leak row and for police “excesses” against student protesters. The uproar from the opposition forced repeated adjournments in both houses. Members of the opposition INDIA alliance protested inside and outside parliament. While the sitting was adjourned, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav protested together in the parliament precincts. The Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra also took part in the protest.
The government is reported to be planning a long debate in parliament on the amendment bill. Sources say the debate could run for eight to 10 hours. But with the sitting adjourned repeatedly amid opposition uproar, parliament has been left deadlocked.
The Congress and other opposition parties raised their voices in parliament that day, demanding that the home minister, Amit Shah, answer for the baton charge on students and the use of pellet guns.
The Congress leader Pawan Khera said: “Police behaved badly towards women at the protest. Who beat the students in plain clothes? Are they RSS goons? The union home minister must answer this. How do police fire pellet guns at students in the heart of Delhi?”
Priyanka Gandhi also asked whether students are militants, that police should be using pellet guns on them. We will not stop until the home minister answers this, she said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report