Parliament monsoon session highlights: Parliament clears key anti-paper leak bill amid Opposition uproar

Parliament monsoon session LIVE: BJP MP Raghav Chadha said the problem of examination paper leaks cannot be solved through media soundbites, but requires strong institutional reforms.

Parliament monsoon session highlights: Parliament on Thursday passed the anti-paper leak Bill and legislation making any insult to the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence. The Rajya Sabha approved both Bills after a brief debate amid uproar by Opposition members, completing the parliamentary process for the two legislations. This blog has now ended.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge questioned whether the government's reforms would bring any real change to the examination system, saying replacing a minister alone was not enough. "The minister is gone, but you are still not making any effort to bring reforms," Kharge said.

The Monsoon Session witnessed fresh disruptions on Thursday as Opposition parties staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha as their demand for Union home minister Amit Shah to attend the House intensified. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned within minutes of assembling amid continued sloganeering by Opposition MPs; the Lower House is set to reconvene at 2 pm.

The Opposition staged a protest at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex on Thursday morning over the alleged police action against student protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 20.

The demonstration, just hours before the Rajya Sabha is expected to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, for consideration and passage. The legislation aims to tighten laws against paper leaks and other examination-related malpractices.

Amit Shah is either ‘culpable or incompetent,’ says Rahul

Today's protest is expected to focus on the political storm over the alleged police action against students during the July 20 demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi maintains that Union home minister Amit Shah was "either culpable or incompetent" over the alleged police action and called for an independent probe monitored by the Supreme Court.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday backed Gandhi's demand for accountability, accusing the BJP of carrying out a "lethal attack" on young protesters.

In a post on X, Kharge said, "Pellet gun fire was used against our youth, against our students. Either this happened with the authorisation of Home Minister Amit Shah, or it happened without his top-down direction. Both scenarios reflect the irresponsibility of the Home Minister or the Prime Minister... The BJP is guilty of launching a lethal attack on the youth--this is the truth."

SP raises Ram Temple donation issue

The planned protest comes a day after Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs, led by party chief Akhilesh Yadav, held a demonstration at Makar Dwar over the alleged theft and misappropriation of offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.

Holding placards and raising slogans of "chadhawa chor, gaddi chor", the SP leaders demanded a high-level investigation into the alleged financial irregularities linked to temple donations.

Lok Sabha clears anti-paper leak bill

The Opposition's protest comes ahead of the Rajya Sabha's debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to strengthen the legal framework against examination-related offences.

Among its key provisions, the Bill proposes stricter punishment for paper leaks, the creation of a Special Task Force to investigate examination-related crimes and the establishment of Special Fast Track Courts to ensure time-bound trials.

The Bill cleared the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a lengthy debate marked by sharp exchanges between the government and Opposition benches over repeated paper leaks and the government's handling of student protests.

According to the Rajya Sabha's List of Business, discussion on the legislation is scheduled to begin at 2 pm on Thursday.